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THE 


VOL.  v.] 


JANUARY,  1882. 


[No.  1. 


THE   GLADIOLUS. 

The  beautiful  colored  plate  which  adorns  this  number  will  enable  our  readers 
to  form  a  very  correct  impression  of  the  perfection  in  form  and  coloring  which 
has  been  attained  in  the  cultivation  of  a  flower  which,  perhaps,  many  of  them 
will  well  remember  under  the  name  of  Sword  Lily.  If  our  readers  have  not 
recently  noticed  the  progress  that  has  been  made  in  the  production  of  new  forms 
and  brilliant  colors,  they  will  thank  the  Directors  of  the  Association  for  calling 
their  attention  to  it  again  by  giving  them  this  colored  illustration,  and  the 
opportunity  of  seeing  it  flower  in  their  own  gardens,  by  offering  them  as  one  of 
the  premiums  which  they  can  choose,  three  bulbs  of  this  interesting  flower. 

Our  climate  is  well  suited  to  the  growth  and  culture  of  the  Gladiolus,  much 
better  than  that  of  England  or  France,  and  it  is  as  easily  grown  and  cared  for  as 
the  potato.  It  is  only  necessary  to  avoid  soils  that  are  wet,  and  therefore  cold, 
which  means  ground  that  is  badly  drained,  and  plant  in  such  ground  as  one 
would  select  in  the  expectation  of  raising  a  good  potato  crop.  In  enriching  the 
bed  where  it  is  proposed  to  plant  them,  do  not  use  fresh  or  partially  fermented 
manure,  as  this  tends  to  produce  disease  in  the  bulbs.  The  best  is  that  which 
has  been  thoroughly  decomposed  and  composted  with  old  sods  and  ground  bone. 
After  the  weather  has  become  settled  in  spring  and  the  ground  in  good  working 
condition,  the  bed  should  be  dug  over  and  the  manure  thoroughly  mingled  with 
the  soif.  Then  as  soon  as  all  danger  of  severe  frosts  is  passed  the  bulbs  may  be 
[)lanted  out  about  ten  inches  apart  each  way,  and  four  to  five  inches  deep. 

A  nice  bed  of  Gladiolus  ls  a  most  showy  and  attractive  feature  of  the  after 
midsummer  flower  garden,  and  is  particularly  desirable  on  account  of  the  blooms 
aj)pearing  at  a  time  when  flowers  are  less  abundant.  The  colors  are  so  bright 
and  showy,  and  withal  so  varied,  the  form  of  the  flowers  so  elegant,  and  these 
borne  so  conspicuously  upon  their  tall  spikes  that  they  never  fail  to  produce  a 
most  beautiful  effect.  The  cut  blooms  are  also  particularly  useful  for  large 
boquets  and  table  decoration,  for  if  the  spikes  are  put  into  water,  though  only 
the  lower  flowers  are  open,  the  buds  above  will  all  expand  in  succession  as 
perfectly  as  if  they  had  never  been  severed  from  the  plant. 


*> 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


In  the  autumn,  when  severe  frosts  begin  to  appear,  the  bulbs  should  be  taken 
up,  the  stalks  cut  down  to  about  an  inch  from  the  bulb,  then  after  allowing 
them  to  dry  for  a"  few  hours  they  can  be  stored  in  a  box  in  the  cellar,  where 
they  will  be  free  from  frost  until  they  are  wanted  for  planting  in  the  spring. 
Small  bulblets  will  be  found  adhering  to  the  bottoms  of  the  large  bulbs ;  if  these 
are  saved,  put  into  a  paper  bag  and  kept  out  of  the  ground  for  one  whole  season, 
and  then  sown  in  good  rich  soil  in  the  spring  of  the  second  year,  they  will  grow, 
increase  in  size,  and  the  following  year  will  produce  flowers  like  those  of  the 
parent  bulb.  It  is  also  important  to  keep  the  bulbs  away  from  mice  for  they 
are  very  fond  of  them. 

Our  climate  is  so  much  better  suited  to  the  cultivation  of  the  Gladiolus  than 
that  of  Europe  that  there  is  great  inducement  for  those  who  are  fond  of  expe- 
rimenting to  raise  new  varieties  from  seed,  all  of  which  will  be  more  or  less 
beautiful,  and  some  of  them  possibly  better  than  those  for  which  our  European 
raisers  are  so  fond  of  charging  us  five  dollars  a  piece.  It  only  requires  two,  or 
at  the  most,  three  years  to  grow  nice  blooming  bulbs  from  the  seed,  so  that  one 
does  not  have  to  wait  very  long  before  reaping  the  reward  of  his  labours.  It  is 
something  to  have  learned  how  to  "  labor  and  to  wait." 

The  colored  illustration  which  has  been  kindly  supplied  at  cost  to  our  readei*s 
by  Mr.  James  Yick,  of  Rochester,  N.Y.,  represents  flowers  selected  from  his 
collection  of  named  varieties  on  account  of  their  fine  form  and  contrast  in  color, 
and  yet  he  says  they  are  not  superior  to  scores  of  others.  It  is  not  necessary 
that  the  planter  confine  himself  to  named  varieties,  many  of  the  unnamed  are 
quite  as  pleasing  and  far  less  expensive,  and  those  who  wish  a  quantity  of  bloom 
can  obtain  mixed  sorts  at  little  cost. 


A  FEW  HINTS  ON  GRAPE  GROWING. 


Great  attention  is  now  being  given 
to  the  growing  of  grapes  in  this  country. 
It  is  not  very  long  ago  that  we  had  only 
two  varieties  of  grapes  in  cultivation, 
and  neither  of  these  were  suited  to  the 
cjimate  of  any  large  part  of  the  Pro- 
vince. The  Catawba  would  ripen  its 
fruit  only  in  the  most  favored  spots, 
such  as  the  Lake  Erie  shore  or  some 
specially  warm  and  sheltered  nook.  The 
Isabella,  in  favorable  seasons,  ripened 
over  a  somewhat  larger  area,  but  that 
was  but  a  limited  territory  as  compared 
with  the  whole.  The  arrival  of  the 
Clinton  extended  the  limits  of  pos- 
sible grape  culture,  but  in  our  climate 


the  heat  did  not  continue  long  enough 
or  was  not  sufficiently  intense  to  develop 
its  saccharine  properties  so  as  to  make 
it  a  popular  table  grape.  But  within 
a  short  time  the  number  of  varieties 
has  been  greatly  multiplied,  resulting 
in  the  production  of  several  possesing 
great  excellence,  capable  of  enduring 
our  climate  and  of  ripening  their  fruit 
in  almost  every  part  of  the  land. 

Since  the  advent  of  these  varieties 
adapted  to  general  cultivation,  our 
people  have  not  been  slow  to  appreciate 
what  a  grand  addition  nice,  rich,  juicy, 
sweet  grapes  are  to  our  list  of  fruits ; 
nor  slow  to  find  out  how  much  sooner 


THE  CANADIAN   nORTICDLTDRIST. 


they  come  into  bearing  than  the  most 
of  our  fiuit  trees  ;  that  instead  of  wait- 
ing tive,  six,  eight  or  ten  years  for  fruit, 
they  are  sure  of  gathering  a  nice  supply 
the  third  season.  Nor  have  they  been 
slow  to  find  out  that  the  product  of  a 
few  vines  was  not  only  a  beautiful  and 
toothsome  addition  to  one's  home  com- 
forts, but  a  [)rofitable  source  of  money 
revenue.  It  was  soon  found  that  an 
acre  of  grapes  would  yield  five  tons  of 
fruit,  which,  if  sold  at  the  moderate 
price  of  four  cents  per  pound,  brought 
to  the  producer  the  comfortable  item 
of  four  hundred  dollars,  which  left  him, 
after  making  liberal  allowance  for  labor 
and  capital  invested,  a  better  income 
than  any,  even  the  most  favorable,  yield 
of  grain.  Hence  it  is  that  to-day  the 
planting  of  grapes  has  reached  such 
vast  proportions,  and  that  new  kinds, 
which  promise  to  be  well  adapted  to 
our  climate  and  to  take  in  the  market, 
are  so  eagerly  sought  after.  Hence, 
also,  it  is  that  inquiry  as  to  the  methods 
of  pruning,  training  and  caring  for  the 
grape  is  so  active,  and  everything 
throwing  light  upon  the  subject  so 
eagerly  sought. 

To  help  those  who  are  thus  seeking 
information  upon  a  matter  so  important 
and  interesting  these  hints  on  grape 
growing  are  given,  believing  that,  in 
as  much  as  they  embody  an  experience 
extending  now  over  many  years,  they 
will  be  found  helpful  to  those  especially 
who  are  but  beginners,  those  who  are 
just  trying  their  prentice  hand  at  the 
mystery  of  grape  growing,  nor  will  they 
find  the  lesson  at  all  hard  to  learn. 
The  grape-vine  is  a  very  patient  plant, 
yielding  generously  her  luscious  fruits 
under  even  very  crude  treatment.  But, 
as  in  everything  else,  he  will  reap  the 
finest  fruit  an*!  the  most  money  who 
gives  his  mind  to  the  business,  attends 
CJirefully  to  every  detail,  and  never 
allows  any  item  of  the  work  to  suflfer 
through  neglect.     There  may  be  "no 


royal  road  to  learning,"  but  there  is  a 
royal  road  to  success  in  grape  growing, 
and  none  may  travel  it  but  those  who 
have  royal  blood  in  their  veins  ;  those 
who,  though  they  claim  not  descent 
from  regal  sires,  are  nature's  noblemen  ; 
men  of  earnest  purpose,  who,  with  head 
and  heart  devoted  to  the  culture,  will 
watchfully  supply  every  want  and  guard 
against  every  foe.  To  such  there  will 
be  truly  golden  harvests. 

THE  SOIL,  AND  PREPARATION  FOR 
PLANTING. 

One  of  the  first  questions  that  arises 
in  the  mind  of  the  intending  vine 
planter  is  whether  the  soil  at  his  com- 
mand is  suitable,  and' what  the  prepara- 
tion it  requires.  Fortunately  the  vine 
is  not  very  fastidious  in  its  choice  of 
soils.  I  have  planted  it  on  gravelly, 
sandy  and  clay  soils,  and  find  it  to 
thrive  vigorously,  and  to  bear  profusely 
on  them  all.  One  thing  it  requires,  and 
if  this  be  given  it,  there  is  hardly  any 
soil  in  which  it  will  not  yield  generous 
returns  ;  but  that  one  thing  is  essential 
to  healthy  and  permanent  growth. 
That  thing  is  this  :  the  soil  must  not 
be  wet.  If  the  drainage  be  not  such 
that  the  soil  is  dry  at  all  tim(?s,  that 
the  water  does  not  stand  in  it  at  any 
season  of  the  year,  it  must  first  be  made 
dry  by  thorough  underdraining.  When 
this  is  attained,  the  character  of  the  soil 
in  other  respects  seems  to  be  of  little 
moment. 

We  may  take  it  for  granted  that  the 
vine  will  flourish  on  soil  suit;ible  for  an 
apple-orchard;  and  may  proceed  to  plant 
on  such  soil  with  every  expectation  of 
success. 

Nor  does  the  soil  need  such  long  and 
expensive  preparation  as  many  writers 
would  have  us  to  believe.  Soil  that 
has  been  de^ly  and  thoroughly  tilled  ; 
soil  that  has  been  tilled  as  it  ought  to 
be  to  yield  a  good  crop  of  Indian  com, 
will  be  in  a  suitable  condition  for  the 


THE  CAJJADIAN  HORTICULTURIST. 


planting  of  grape  vines.  The  deep 
trenching  and  heavy  manuring  advised 
by  some  writers  I  believe  to  be  not 
only  unnecessary,  but  positively  injuri- 
ous. It  causes  an  undue  and  unnatural 
growth  of  wood ;  it  causes  the  texture 
of  the  wood  to  be  less  firm,  and  the 
vine  becomes  less  able  to  resist  extremes 
of  temperature. 

I  conclude,  therefore,  that  any  soil 
that  is  well  drained  and  in  suitable  tilth 
to  produce  a  good  crop  of  Indian  corn, 
is  suitable  for  the  vine. 

PLANTING  THE  VINE, 
After  considerable  experiment  and 
much  personal  observation,  I  have  been 
fully  convinced  that  we  ought  to  give 
more  space  to  our  vines  than  has  been 
usually  given.  Not  less  than  twelve 
feet  apart  each  way  is  required  for  the 
best  development  and  most  economical 
and  profitable  culture.  Parties  in- 
terested in  the  sale  of  vines  may  urge 
closer  planting ;  but  experience  and 
^)und  reason,  based  upon  a  knowledge 
of  our  climate  and  of  the  habits  of  the 
vine,  conspire  to  indicate  this  distance 
as  the  best  for  us  to  adopt,  especially  if 
planting  a  vineyard.  If  planting  but 
a  few  viues  in  the  garden,  where  space 
is  limited,  they  may  be  set  as  close  as 
eight  by  ten  feet. 

Of  the  manner  of  planting,  it  can 
surely  not  be  needful  to  write.  Any 
one  that  has  set  out  a  tree  or  a  cabbage 
plant,  knows  enough  to  set  out  a  grape 
vine.  It  is  a  living  plant,  not  a  post, 
and  should  be  treated  accordingly.  The 
hole  should  be  made  large  enough  to 
allow  of  the  roots  being  all  spread  out 
in  their  natural  position,  and  then  care- 
fully covered  with  finely  pulverized  soil. 
Nor  is  the  season  of  much  importance. 
At  any  time  after  the  leaves  fall  in 
autumn,  and  before  the  buds  burst  in 
spring,  and  the  soil  is  in  condition  to 
be  worked,  the  vine  may  be  planted 
>with  success.     TJae  measure  of  success 


will  depend  much  on  the  care  and 
judgment  of  the  planter.  A  covering 
of  coarse  litter  upon  the  ground  over 
the  roots,  usually  called  by  gardeners  a 
mulch,  will  well  repay  the  trouble  of 
putting  on. 

Plant  them  in  fall  or  spring,  as  may 
be  most  convenient;  plant  carefully, 
and  mulch  after  planting. 

PRUNING  AND  TRAINING. 

First  Year. 
When  the  young  vines  in  a  new- 
plantation  begin  to  grow,  all  the  shoots 
but  one — usually  all  but  the  one  near- 
est the  ground — should  be  rubbed  off. 
If,  however,  the  one  from  nearest  the 
ground  seems  to  be  very  feeble,  or  from 
any  other  cause  unsuitable,  then  the 
shoot  next  higher 
on  the  cane  should 
be  preserved  and  all 
the  others  rubbed 
ofi".  A  small  stake 
—a  strip  of  lath  will 
answer — should  be 
thrust  into  the 
ground  at  each 
plant,  and  the  vine 
carefully  tied  to 
that,  as  it  grows 
during  the  summer. 
None  but  slovenly 
cultivators  will 
allow  the  weeds  to 
grow  and  choke  the 
young  vines ;  and 
such  persons  should 
never  plant  them. 
This  will  be  all  the 
care  that  the  vines 
will  need  during 
the  first  season. 

At  the  end  of 
the  first  season's 
growth  the  young 
vine  will  have  the 
appearance  shewn 
vmK  o^^nE^R  TRANS-   m  Figurs  No.  1. 

FLANTBD. 


^ 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Second  Year. 

The  next  sprimg — usually  in  March 
— the  vine  should  be  cut  back  to  two 
or  three  buds.  After  the  shoots  get 
fairly  started  two  of  the  strongest  may 
be  selected,  and  all  the  others  rubbed 
off.  As  the  growing  shoots  lengthen, 
they  should  be  tied  to  the  stake,  and 
treated  precisely  as  in  the  preceding 
summer. 

During  the  summer,  preparations 
should  be  made  for  permanently  staking 
and  trellising  the  vineyard.  And  here 
we  come  to  a  point  upon  which  there  is 
great  diversity  of  opinion  and  practice, 
—  I  mean 
the  method 
of  training. 
There  is  not 
space  enough 
in  these  hints 
to  describe 
the  various 
methods  that 
have  been  re- 
commended. 

I    will    de- 
scribe the  two 
methods  most 
successful     in 
our     climate, 
and  my  read- 
ers can  choose 
the  one  most 
convenient  for 
them  to  adopt. 
At  the  end 
of  the  second 
year  the  vine 
will  have  the 
ap  p  earance 
shewn  in  Fig. 
No.  2.     Now, 
if  the    trellis 
system     be 
^       „   .  adopted  in  the 

Figure  No.  «.  •  f    ^V, 

HNE  TWO   YEABS    TRAM3PLANTED.  SpriUg     Ot      tlie 


Third  Year 

these  two  canes  should  be  stretched 
horizontally  in  opposite  directions,  and 
fastened  in  that  position  by  being  tied 
to  the  lowest  wire  or  horizontal  bar  of 
the  trellis.  The  vine  will  then  have 
the  appearance  shewn  in  Figure  No.  3. 


When  the  buds  start  into  growth  the 
shoots  should  be  trained  upwards,  per- 
pendicular to  these  arms  at  a  distance 
of  about  six  inches  apart,  and  all  other 
shoots  nibbed  off. 

Some  difficulty  may  be  experienced 
in  making  the  eyes  nearest  to  the  vine 


6 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTICUI-TDEI8T. 


to  break  well  and  form  strong  canes,  as 
the  tendency  is  to  make  the  strongest 
growth  at  the  extremities.  This  may 
be  overcome  by  bending  the  ends  of 
the  horizontal  canes  to  the  ground  and 
fastening  them  there  until  the  growth 
in  the  eyes  at  the  base  has  become 
vigorous.  This  may  be  greatly  helped 
by  pinching  back  the  two  canes  several 
times  during  the  second  season's  growth, 
which  will  cause  the  lower  buds  to  be 
very  strongly  developed. 

These  upright  canes  will  bear  fruit 
this  year,  and  in  the  autumn  the  vine 
will  present  the  appearance  shewn  in 
Figure  No.  4. 

Subsequent  pruning  will  consist 
merely  in  cutting  back  each  of  these 


alternate  canes  which  were  left  standing 
to  the  top  of  the  trellis  are  allowed  to 
bear  fruit  on  the  lateral  branches  which 
will  grow  from  each  bud.  As  many 
laterals  are  allowed  to  grow  and  bear 
each  one  bunch  of  grapes  as  the  strength 
of  the  vine  will  admit ;  all  the  others 
are  rubbed  off,  and,  after  the  first  bunch 
appears,  the  lateral  is  pinched  off  so  as 
to  leave  two  or  three  leaves  only  beyond 
the  bunch  of  fruit.  The  next  year  the 
upright  canes  that  bore  fruit  the  pre- 
vious season  are  cut  back  to  one  eye 
above  the  horizontal  arm,  and  a  new 
upright  trained  up  to  bear  fruit  the 
following  year.  Thus  the  canes  are  cut 
back  alternately. 

The  other  system  of  training  is  called 


Figwt  No.  4. 
THREE-YEAR   OLP  VINE   IN   FRUIT. 


upright  canes  to  the  first  strong,  plump 
bud  above  the  horizontal  arm,  and  train- 
ing up  a  new  fruit-bearing  upright  cane 
each  year.  Some  cultivators  cut  back 
every  other  one  of  these  upright  canes 
to  within  one  bud  of  the  arm,  and  cut 
the  others  back  merely  at  the  top  of 
the  trellis.  Those  canes  which  are  cut 
down  to  within  one  bud  of  the  arm  are 
not  allowed  to  bear  any  fruit,  but  the 
new  shoot  is  trained  upright  to  the 
ti'ellis  to  bear  fruit  the  next  year.     The 


the  Arbor  System.  Stout  poles  are 
set  in  each  row  of  vines  midway  be- 
tween the  vines.  To  these  poles  are  fas- 
tened other  and  lighter  ])oles,  reaching 
from  pole  to  pole,  at  such  height  from 
the  ground  as  the  size  of  the  vines  may 
require ;  also  other  light  poles  reaching 
across  to  the  poles  of  the  next  adjoin- 
ing row.  Upon  these  horizontal  poles 
light  sticks  are  laid  and  fastened,  form- 
ing a  sort  of  lattice  over  the  space  be- 
tween the  first  and  second  row,  the  third 


THE   CANADIAN   H0RTI0ULTDRI8T. 


and  fourth  row,  the  fifth  and  sixth  row, 
and  so  on  ;  thus  covering  each  alternate 
space.  Then  the  vines  on  the  first  and 
second  row  are  trained  upon  this  lattice ; 
the  vines  of  the  first  row  running 
towards  the  second,  and  those  of  the 
second  towards  the  first  row, — those  of 
the  third  towards  the  fourth,  and  those 
of  the  fourth  towards  the  third  row, — 
until  each  alternate  space  is  covered 
with  vines,  trained  horizontally  upon  a 
lattice  or  support  of  light  poles.  The 
height  of  this  lattice  from  the  ground 
is  increased  each  year  with  the  increas- 
ing size  of  the  vines,  until  it  reaches 
about  seven  feet  from  the  ground,  at 
which  point  it  is  permanently  main- 
tained. When  the  vines  have  reached 
this  height,  no  branches,  leaves  or 
shoots,  are  allowed  to  grow  within  five 
feet  of  the  ground. 

The  pruning  in  this  plan  of  training 
consists  in  cutting  back  the  previous 
season's  growth  to  one  or  two  buds,  and 
occasionally  cutting  out  the  old  wood, 
so  that  there  may  be  a  constant  supply 
of  young  fruit-bearing  wood,  and  the 
vine  upon  the  top  of  the  arbor  not  be- 
come too  thickly  matted,  but  always  so 
thinu'^d  out  that  tlie  air  can  circulate 
freely   through  the    overlying  foliage. 

SUMMER  PRUNING. 
The  only  pruning  that  the  vine  should 
receive  during  its  season  of  growth  will 
be  the  nipping  off  of  the  ends  of  shoots 
that  should  be  stopped,  in  order  to 
throw  the  strength  of  the  vine  into  the 
fruit.  The  idea  that  the  leaves  of  the 
vine  must  be  cut  away  to  allow  the  sun 
to  shine  upon  the  fruit  is  wholly  ei-ro- 
neous,  and  in  practice  leads  to  injurious 
conserpr^nces.  The  leaves  ebiborate  the 
sap,  au'l  ripen  the  fruit.  In  order  to  do 
this  office  effectually,  the  leaves  need  to 
be  fully  exposed  to  the  sun  and  air ; 
and  that  thr\v  may  he  so  exposeil,  fully 
and  freely,  all  superfluous  wood  is  cut 
away  in  the  Spring,  and  thus  the  foli- 


age and  fruit  kept  in  due  proportion  to 
each  other,  and  to  the  space  to  be  occu- 
pied. How  much  to  cut  away,  and 
what  to  cut  away,  can  not  be  taught 
by  written  instructions.  Something 
will  depend  upon  the  vigor  of  growth 
of  the  variety,  and  can  be  learned  only 
with  pruning  shears  in  hand.  One 
principle  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all 
successful  pruning, — that  is,  to  replace 
the  old  wood  with  new,  the  fruit  being 
borne  on  the  wood  of  the  curi-ent  year, 
which  grows  from  buds  formed  on  the 
wood  of  last  year.  Only  by  so  priming 
as  to  keep  a  sufficient  supply  of  strong, 
healthy,  well-ripened  young  wood,  may 
a  crop  of  fruit  be  secured. 

MANURES. 
The  best  for  a  young  vineyard  not 
yet  come  into  bearing,  is  well-rotted 
barn-yard  manure.  With  most  farmers 
there  is  not  much  danger  of  applying 
too  much  at  this  stage  of  growth,  yet 
it  can  be  overdone.  Judgment  must 
be  used  in  this  as  in  all  things  else; 
and  the  best  judgment  is  always  the 
result  of  practical  experience.  Some 
varieties,  such  as  the  Delaware,  will 
bear  considerable  manure,  not  only 
without  injuiy,  but  with  positive  bene- 
fit; while  such  as  the  Isabella  and 
Diana  can  be  over-fed  to  their  injury. 
When  the  vines  begin  to  bear,  in  addi- 
tion to  a  moderate  quantity  of  well- 
rotted  barn-yard  manui-e,  ground  bones, 
lime,  ashes,  salt,  and  even  iron  tilings, 
if  to  be  had,  may  be  api)lied  with  great 
benefit.  In  soils  deficient  in  lime  there 
will  be  need  of  supplying  lime  in  larger 
proportion ;  and  as  the  country  is  re- 
mote from  the  sea,  the  use  of  salt,  sown 
broadcast  upon  the  ground,  will,  in 
some  measure,  supply  the  defect. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  VINE. 
The   most   common    disease   in   this 
country  is  the  mildew,  which  attacks 
the   leaves   and   fruit,  and  sometimes 


8 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


extends  to  the  young  shoots.     It  is  a 
parasitic  plant,  and  I  am  disposed  to 
believe  that  those  fungoid  or  parasitic 
plants  are  not  only  not  a  disease,  nor 
even  the  first  cause  of  a  disease  in  the 
vine,  but  only  a  consequence  of  disease. 
It  is  not  in  the  healthy  vine,  growing 
in   vigor   and   normal   condition,  that 
these  parasitic  plants  find  the  conditions 
favorable  to  their  development.     It  is 
when  the  vine  has  received  some  shock, 
has  become  in  some  degree  unhealthy, 
or  been  placed  in  some  condition  that 
is   abnormal,  that   these   plants,    ever 
ready  to  fasten  upon  enfeebled  and  fail- 
ing vegetation,  finding  conditions  more 
or  less  favorable  to  their  development, 
begin  to  show   themselves,  and   then 
effect  becomes  cause,  and  the  sickening 
vine  becomes  morje  sickly  by  reason  of 
the  preying  parasite.     There  are  some 
vines  of  so  delicate  and  feeble  a  consti- 
tution that  they  are  naturally  inclined 
to  be  unhealthy.     Upon  these  we  may 
expect  to  find  the  parasitic  fungi  known 
as  mildew  and  rot.     But  they  are  not 
to  be  expected  upon  vines  of  a  robust 
constitution,  Such  as  the  Concord,  and 
when  they  are  found,  we  may  at  once 
conclude  that  there  is  something  more 
to   pay  than   any  accidental  so-called 
disease.      Over-bearing   is    one    great 
cause   of  sickly  and   enfeebled  vines. 
Injudicious   pruning   is   another,    and 
probably  the  most  common  cause,  for 
even  over-bearing  is  the  result  of  inju- 
dicious pruning.     But  most  especially 
is  excessive  summer  pruning  and  defo- 
liation a  fruitful  cause  of  disease,  mil- 
dew, and  death.     An  abundant  supply 
of  foliage,  well  exposed  to  the  action 
of  air  and  light,  are  essential  to  the 
health  of  the  vine  and  the  ripening  of 
the   fruit.      When   mildew  begins   to 
make   its   appearance,   it   can   be  fre- 
quently prevented  from  spreading  by 
dusting  the  vine,  leaves  and  fruit,  with 
flour  of  sulphur,  and  scattering  it  upon 
the  ground  under  the  vines.     Better 


still,  if  there  be  reason  to  apprehend 
mildew  from  the  experience  of  previous 
seasons,  to  apply  the  sulphur  before 
the  mildew  appears,  and  in  this  way, 
it  may  be,  prevent  it  wholly. 

The  grape  vine  of  Europe  {vitis  vini- 
fera)  seems  to  be  unable  to  bear  the 
extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  drought  and 
moisture,  incident  to  our  climate.  In 
a  short  time  it  becomes  so  enfeebled  as 
to  fall  an  easy  prey  to  the  mildew,  and 
it  is  found  that  those  varieties  of  grape 
which  are  crosses  with  the  European 
are  more  or  less  subject  to  this  disease. 
Hence,  in  planting  vines,  especially  in 
vineyard  planting  for  commercial  pur- 
poses, it  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
to  ascertain  beforehand  whether  the 
vine  possesses  a  robust  constitution. 

INSECTS. 
There  are  some  insects  which  are 
sure  to  be  found  upon  sickly  vines,  very 
rarely  and  sparsely  upon  vines  that  are 
perfectly  healthy.  Of  these  are  the 
Aphis  and  Red  Spider.  In  some  sec- 
tions and  in  some  seasons,  however, 
there  are  other  insects  which  attack 
perfectly  healthy  vines ;  and  what  is 
the  worse  feature  in  the  case,  some  take 
particular  delight  in  feeding  upon  the 
grape  flowers,  and  so  destroy  the  crop 
outright.  The  worst  of  these  is  the 
Rose  Bug  {Macrodacti/lus  subspinosa). 
When  these  make  their  appearance  in 
large  numbers  they  make  fearful  havoc 
in  the  vineyard,  eating  first  the  flowers 
and  then  the  foliage.  There  is  but  one 
method  of  efiectually  getting  rid  of  this 
pest,  and  that  is  the  simple  one  of 
catching  and  killing.  It  is  easily  and 
rapidly  done,  but  it  needs  to  be  made 
a  business  of,  and  all  in  whose 
grounds  they  appear  should 
join  in  a  work  of  utter  exter- 
mination. The  annexed  cut, 
Figure  No.  5,  will  enable 
Fig.  No.  5.  those  who  are  not  familiar 
RosEBua.  with   this   little  mischievous 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


9 


beetle,  to  form  an  idea  of  its  appear- 
ance, and  so  to  recognize  it  if  it  should 
visit  their  vines. 

There  are  a  few  other  insect  enemies 
which  have  been  found  in  Canada  prey- 
ing upon  the  vine,  but  thus  far  they 


ters  of  fruit.  Figure  No.  6,  c?,  shews  the 
perfect  beetle.  Should  the  beetles  be- 
come numerous,  so  that  they  threaten 
serious  damage  to  the  vines,  the  follow- 
ing method  of  destroying  them  may  be 
adopted  : 


Figure  No.  6. 
The  Grape  Vine  Flea-beetle. 


{Haltica  Chalyhea). 


a  shews  a  leaf  of  the  vine  perforated  by  the  larvae,  which  are  at  work  on  the  under  side,  b  is  the  larva  mag- 
nified, the  line  at  the  right  indicating  the  natural  length,  c  is  the  cocoon,  and  d  the  perfect  beetle  enlarged, 
the  line  at  the  left  being  intended  to  shew  the  natural  size. 


have  not  appeared  in  sufficient  quanti- 
ties to  do  much  harm. 

The  Grape  Vine  Flea-Beetle  is  a  little 
greenish-blue,  jumping  fellow,  that 
should  be  carefully  looked  after  when- 
ever he  makes  his  appearance,  lest  the 
number  should  multiply  so  as  to  become 
formidable.  It  feeds  on  the  grape-vine 
in  both  the  larva  and  the  beetle  state. 
Figure  No.  6,  a,  shews  the  insect  in  the 
larva  state,  and  its  manner  of  feeding 
upon  the  leaves.  At  this  time  there  is 
no  difficulty  in  gathering  and  destroy- 
ing them,  but  in  the  beetle  state  they 
are  so  active  as  to  make  it  difficult  to 
catch  them.  If  anything  they  are  more 
destructive  in  the  beetle  state,  eating 
into  the  bursting  buds,  and  devouring 
the  entire  embryo  branch  with  its  clus- 


Take  two  pieces  of  common  cotton 
sheeting,  each  being  two  yards  long  and 
half  as  wide;  fasten  sticks  across  the 
end  of  each  piece  to  keep  the  cloth 
open,  and  then  drench  with  kerosene. 
Give  the  sheets  thus  prepared  to  two 
persons,  each  having  hold  of  the  rods 
at  opposite  ends  of  the  sheets.  Then 
let  the  persons  pass  one  sheet  on  either 
side  of  the  vine,  being  careful  to  unite 
the  cloth  around  the  base  of  the  vine ; 
then  let  a  third  person  give  the  stake 
to  which  the  vine  is  attached  a  sharp 
blow  with  a  heavy  stick.  Such  a  blow 
will,  in  nearly  every  case,  jar  the  beetles 
into  the  sheets,  where  the  kerosene  kills 
them  instantly. 

This  process,  after  a  little  experience, 
can  be  performed  almost  as  rapidly  as 


10 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


Figure 

The  Spotted  Pelidnota. 

a  represents  the  full  grown  larva, 

the  persons  employed  can  walk  from 
one  vine  to  another.  The  expense 
necessary  is  very  trifling,  and  boys  can 
do  the  work  quite  as  well  as  men. 
Warm,  bright  afternoons  are  the  proper 
times  for  this  work  to  b3  done,  and  it 
should  be  performed  faithfully  every 
sunny  day  until  the  vines  are  out  of 
danger.  This  mode  of  combating  the 
beetle  promises  to  be  much  more  eftec- 
tual  than  any  other  which  has  been 
hitherto  suggested ;  for  it  can  be  used 
early  in  the  season  before  the  vines  are 
seriously  injured  and  before  the  insects 
have  b3gun  to  multiply.  In  connection 
with  the  above,  the  remedies  which 
have  been  recommended  often  should, 
if  necessary,  be  used.  These  are  as 
follows :  First,  all  rubbish  should  be 
removed  fi'om  the  vineyard,  and  the 
stakes  and  trellises  which  support  the 
vines  be  well  cleaned  of  bark  and 
splinters,  so  as  to  afford  the  beetles 
little  chance  for  hibernating  in  the 
vineyard.  Second,  if  the  larvae  appear 
in  great  numbers,  lime  should  be  sifted 
over  the  vines. 

The  spoited  Pelidnota,  shewn  in 
Figure  No.  7,  feeds  on  the  leaves  of 
the  vine,  and  it  is  just  as  well  to  kill 


No.  7. 

{Pelidnota  punctata). 
6  the  pupa,  c  the  perfect  beetle. 

the  beetles  when  you  find  them,^  lest 
they  should  multiply  suthciently  to 
commit  serious  damage,  though  I  am 
not  aware  that  they  have  yet  been  so 
numerous  as  to  become  seriously  trouble- 
some. (To  he  continued). 


THE  CEDARS  OF  LEBANON. 
The  once  famous  and  extensive  cedar 
forest  of  Lebanon,  according  to  a  writer  in 
the  Politkchz  Correspond  :nz,  has  dwindled 
down  to  the  dimensions  of  a  mere  thicket, 
numbering  about  four  hundred  trees.  To 
save  it  from  complete  destruction,  and 
preserve  it  at  least  in  its  presejit  extent, 
Rustem  Pacha,  the  Governor-G^aieral  of 
the  Lebanon,  has  issued  a  special  ordi- 
nance, containing  a  series  of  stringent 
regulations  calculated  to  check,  if  not 
quite  put  a  stop  to  the  vandalism  and 
carelessness  of  most  travelers.  It  is  ex- 
pressly forbidden  to  put  up  tents  or  other 
kinds  of  shelter  within  the  district  of  the 
trees,  or  to  light  fires  or  cook  any  provi- 
sions in  their  vicinity.  No  one  is  allowed 
to  break  oflf  a  bough  or  even  a  twig  from 
the  trees.  It  is  forbidden  to  bring  any 
beasts  of  burden  within  the  district. 
Should  oxen,  s  leep,  goats  or  other  pas- 
turage cattle  be  found  within  the  pre- 
scribed limits  they  will  be  irredeemably 
confiscated. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


11 


GRAPE  GROWING  AT  LINDSAY. 

BY   JOHN    KNOWLSON. 


In  February  last  I  addressed  a  short 
note  to  you  giving  an  account  of  my 
commencement  of  a  small  vineyard, 
consisting  of  sixty  varieties  of  vines, 
planted  in  the  spring  of  1879,  and 
intimated  that  I  expected  to  be  able  to 
report  my  success  with  them  by  the 
end  of  the  current  year.  Out  of  that 
number  (averaging  eight  vines  of  each 
variety)  tliirty  kinds  fruited  this  season. 
I  may  mention  that,  when  I  made  my 
selection  of  plants,  my  aim  was  to  get 
early  and  hardy  sorts,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  four  or  five  late-ripening 
varieties,  which  I  determined  to  risk  as 
an  experiment.  Out  of  the  thirty  kinds 
that  fruited,  twenty-five  of  them  were 
quite  ripe  by  the  middle  of  September, 
indeed  it  was  on  the  fifteenth  that  we 
had  these  twenty-five  pulled  andhoused, 
and  a  few  of  these  had  been  ripe  a  full 
week  previous,  viz. :  The  Champion  (a 
variety  which  has  been  introduced  into 
the  Province  of  Quebec  under  another 
name,  viz  Beaconsfield),  the  Hartford, 
Tolman,  Janesville,  Telegraph,  Massa- 
soit  and  Eumelan.  Of  the  late  kinds, 
the  Concord,  Clinton  and  Agawam 
ripened  about  the  twenty-fifth  of  same 
montli.  and  the  Diana  and  Cynthiana 
the  first  week  in  October.  Of  the 
Cynthiana,  the  great  red  wine  grape  of 
Missouri,  the  bunches  and  berries  were 
very  small,  and  the  berries  generally 
througliout  the  vineyard  were,  I  think, 
smaller  than  they  otherwise  would  have 
been  but  for  the  long-continued  droujrht 
throuL,di  a  orreat  portion  of  the  summer 
months.  If  we  had  had  an  occasional 
copious  rain-fall  during  that  extremely 
hot  and  dry  period,  I  imagine  the  fruit 
would  have  l)een  larger ;  whether  that 
long  continuation  of  parching  weather 
had  tiie  effect  of  producing  early  ripen- 
ing, I  do  not  undertake  to  determine  ; 
possibly  it  had,  so  that,  taking  into 
consid-  ration  the  exceptional  character 


of  the  season,  I  do  not  pretend  to  decide 
that  the  present  year's  production  is  a 
fair  test  of  the  results  that  may  be 
expected  in  the  future ;  however,  I  am 
thoroughly  convinced  that  the  ground 
on  which  my  vines  are  planted  is  well 
adapted  to  their  cultivation.  The  sur- 
face Hoil  is  a  clay  loam,  mixed  with 
numerous  small  roundish  lime-stones, 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  in  depth, 
resting  u\)on  a  sub-stratum  of  the  same' 
sort  of  stones,  say  from  an  ounce  to 
four  or  five  pounds  weight,  five  to  six 
feet  deep,  with  little  or  no  soil  mixed 
through  them. 

I  planted  about  800  more  vines  last 
spring,  principally  Concord,  with  a  view 
to  make  a  fair  and  cheaj)  drinkable 
wine.  I  have  had  several  varieties  of 
grapes  ripen  in  Lindsay  four  seasons 
out  of  five  for  the  last  eigliteen  years, 
although  grown  on  a  hard  clay  soil  ; 
but  the  vines  I  have  been  referring  to 
above  are  planted  about  ten  miles  to 
the  north  of  here,  and  are  about  fifty 
miles  north  from  the  town  of  Port 
Hope,  situate  on  the  shore  of  Lake 
Ontario,  at  which  latter  place,  as  also 
about  the  neighbouring  Town  of  Co- 
bourg,  the  attempt  to  grow  out-door 
grapes  has  not  been  successful,  although 
the  soil  seems  quite  well  adapted  to  the  , 
purpose. 

A  few  of  the  varieties  I  have  planted 
I  should  have  no  desire  to  repeat — 
the  Champion  for  one,  as  I  consider  it 
of  very  poor  quality,  and  if  the  people 
of  Quebec  have  a  relish  for  it  I  for  one 
do  not  envy  them  their  enjoyment  of 
it ;  the  Hartford  is  not  much  better, 
besides  it  is  objectionable  on  account 
of  dropping  its  berries  as  soon  as  ripe  ; 
the  Janesville  is  only  four  or  five  days 
later  than  the  Champion,  and  I  think 
of  better  quality  than  either  it  or  the 
Hartford  ;  the  Massiisoit  I  like  if  pulled 
at  the  proper   stage   of  maturity ;   if 


12 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


allowed  to  hang  too  long  on  the  vine  it 
loses  its  flavor,  particularly  should  wet 
weather  prevail  at  the  time. 

I  have  made  a  few  gallons  of  wine 
each  year  for  the  last  five  years  from 
the  Clinton,  and  find  it  improves  very 
much  with  age,  and  thus  makes  a  wine 
not  to  be  despised.  I  would  grow  more 
of  the  Clinton  were  it  not  that  the 
robins  are  so  destructive  on  the  crop  ; 
it  is  impossible  to  protect  the  fruit  until 
it  gets  properly  ripe ;  they  also  devour 
large  quantities  of  strawberries  and 
other  small  fruits,  and  I  have  never 
discovered  that  they  are  of  much  value 
in  destroying  pestiferous  insects.  It 
is  not  at  all  uncommon  to  find  cater- 
pillars and  insects  of  different  kinds 
swarming  on  the  same  tree  with  the 
robin's  nest,  while  hatching  and  rearing 
its  brood,  and  not  one  of  the  insect 
tribe  disturbed. 

I  may  mention  here  that  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Logan,  of  Fenelon  Falls,  which  is 
about  six  miles  still  further  north  than 
my  plantation,  has  been  quite  successful 
in  ripening  several  varieties  of  out-door 
grapes,  and  the  late  Mr.  Hooey,  of 
Rosedale,  a  few  miles  still  farther  north, 
grew  fine  specimens  for  several  years 
in  succession.  I  visited  his  place  in 
1879,  and  found  his  soil,  both  sur- 
face and  sub- soil,  quite  similar  to  mine. 

I  may  refer  to  another  fact  which 
.  serves  to  give  me  confidence  as  to  my 
future  success,  viz.,  that  the  wood  of 
nearly  all  my  vines  was  hard  and 
thoroughly  matured  by  the  25th  of 
September,  and  a  few  varieties  even 
much  earlier. 

I  am  persuaded  that  there  are  large 
areas  of  land  in  the  Counties  of  Victoria 
and  Peterborough  well  suited  for  the 
cultivation  of  the  grape,  and  I  am 
sanguine  enough  to  believe  that  Canada 
ere  long  will  be  found  to  be  a  wine 
producing  country,  and  I  hope  to  see 
efforts  made  to  make  it  such  ;  for  if  we 
desire  to  do  away  with  the  common  use 


of  bad  whisky   and   other   spirituous 
compounds,  a  substitute  must  be  pro- 
vided; we  must  encourage  by  every 
legitimate  means  the  production  of  a 
wholesome,     exhilarating,     non-inebri- 
ating beverage  made  from  the  juice  of 
the  grape ;  cheap,  pure,  light  wines  to 
be  used  by  all  classes,  young  and  old, 
as  it  is  in  France,  where  amongst  the 
rural   population,   as  well   as  that  of 
many  of  the  large  towns,  a  drunken 
person  is  a  vara  avis.     Here  let  me 
say  that  although  I  by  no  means  under- 
value the  work  that  has  been  done,  and 
the  great  efforts  still  making  by  tem- 
perance advocates  (notwithstanding,  to 
my  mind,  some  very  illogical  arguments 
often  escape  the  lips  of  the  most  sincere 
pleaders  of  the  cause),  for  strict  tem- 
perance has  long  been  and  still  is  my 
motto,  yet  I  am  persuaded  that  if  such 
wines  as  I  have  alluded  to  can  be  pro- 
duced and  become  the  common  bever- 
age, as  in  France  and  other  portions  of 
Europe,  it  would  prove  the  capsheaf  to 
all   the   temperance    movements   that 
have  yet  been  inaugurated.    1  have  but 
little  faith  in  the  doctrine  of  Prohibition 
of  the  spirituous  liquor  traffic,  unless  a 
refreshing  and   harmless  substitute  is 
provided,  neither  do  I  concur  in  a  de- 
cision  that   was  recently   given  by  a 
debating  club  a  few  miles  from  here, 
".  That  the  moderate  use  of  liquor  is  a 
sin."     In  my  collection  of  vines  I  have 
four    or  five  white  varieties,    one    of 
which  is  the   Elvira,  said  to  make  a 
good  white  wine.     From  its  manner  of 
fruiting  this  season  it  has  not  proved 
all  I  was  led  to  expect  from  it ;  the 
bunches,     though    numerous    enough, 
were  small,  and  the  berries  so  closely 
compacted  that  their  size  was  not  half 
developed,    besides    they   ripened   un- 
evenly, a  few  of  the  largest  on  each 
bunch    taking    the    lead    and    either 
cracked  open  or  the  skins  were  punc- 
tured by  wasps,  which  seemed  to  con- 
fine their  depredations  to  this  variety, 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICUmURIST. 


13 


besides  many  ants  joined  them  in  the 
feast.  This  is  my  experience  with  the 
Elvira  so  far ;  they  may  do  better  as 
the  vines  get  older.  Any  of  the  white 
kinds  that  I  have  proved  so  far  has  not 
come  up  to  the  standard  of  what  I 
desire.  In  quality  the  Rebecca  pleases 
me  best.  My  Delawares,  planted 
with  the  others  in  1879,  have  not 
borne  fruit  yet,  and  seem  slow  growers, 
although  I  alloted  them,  as  was  neces- 
sary, the  richest  part  of  the  soil ;  the 
six  lonas  I  planted  in  the  spring  of 
1880  have  given  me  as  yet  no  proof  of 
what  they  will  do  in  the  way  of  ripen- 
ing ;  my  Prentiss,  Duchess  and  Lady 
Washington  were  only  planted  last 
spring,  so  that  I  am  unable  to  speak 
for  them,  and  am  now  patiently  waiting 
for  a  few  vines  of  the  Niagara,  which 
is  generally  expected  to  eclipse  all  com- 
petitoi'S.  I  hope  it  may.  All  Rogers' 
Hybrids  I  have  planted  give  promise 
of  good  results.  My  first  planted  vines 
are  eight  feet  apart  in  the  row,  and  the 
rows  nine  feet  apart,  and  my  trellises 
are  constructed  with  four  horizontal 
No.  12  galvanized  iron  wires,  placed 
about  eighteen  inches  asunder  and  fas- 
tened with  wire  staples  to  the  sides  of 
cedar  posts,  which  were  cut  eight  and 
a-half  feet  long  and  about  four  inches 
and  upwards  in  diameter,  sharpened  as 
a  stake  at  the  thick  end,  and  one  placed 
midway  between  each  vine;  a  hole 
being  first  prepared  with  a  crow-bar, 
and  the  post  driven  down  two  and  a- 
half  feet  with  a  heavy  maul,  the  driver 
standing  on  a  raised  platform ;  these 
were  put  down  in  1879,  and  so  far  have 
shown  no  signs  of  heaving  by  frost,  but, 
should  they  ever  do  so,  a  little  pounding 
occasionally  will  put  them  right.  The 
posts  at  the  end  of  each  row  are  braced, 
and  small  holes  bored  through  for  the 
wires  lo  pass  through  where  they  are 
fastened  to  the  posts,  but  at  one  end 
of  each  row  only,  by  bringing  the  end 
of  the  wire  half  round  the  post  and, 


meeting  the  wire  on  the  other  side, 
twisting  them  together ;  at  the  other 
end  of  the  row  the  wires  also  pass 
through  similar  holes  in  the  post,  and 
here  I  use  a  strip  one  inch  and  a-half 
square,  ripped  out  of  one  and  a-half 
inch  dry  oak  plank,  thirteen  feet  long, 
each  length  cut  into  three  equal  parts 
of  four  feet  three  inches  each  ;  through 
this  strip  is  bored  four  small  holes  cor- 
responding in  spaces  with  the  four 
holes  in  the  post ;  these  strips  are  placed 
vertically  on  the  outside  of  the  post, 
first  placing  three  small  wedges,  four 
or  five  inches  in  length,  and  from  an 
inch  to  an  inch  and  a-half  thick  at  the 
large  end,  between  the  strip  and  the 
post  at  convenient  distances  ;  the  end 
of  each  of  the  four  wires  is  then 
brought  through  the  holes  in  the  stiips 
and  tightened  with  the  stretcher  or  the 
claws  of  a  good  hammer,  a  turn  taken 
half  round  the  strip  to  meet  the  wire  on 
the  opposite  side  and  twisted  together. 
This  method  I  have  adopted  to  provide 
against  contraction  and  expansion  of 
the  wires ;  possibly  there  are  simpler 
and  better  plans  for  this  object,  but  I 
have  had  no  opportunity  of  making 
their  acquaintance.  In  the  fall  I  slacken 
or  remove  the  wedges  altogether.  When 
the  wires  again  require  tightening,  ail 
that  is  required  is  to  give  a  few  taps 
of  the  wedges.  T  intend  in  future 
to  set  my  posts  twelve  to  sixteen  feet 
apart. 

1  am  desirous  to  plant  eight  or  t<^n 
acres  more,  in  addition  to  my  present 
three  acres,  but  find  myself  too  f:ir 
advanced  in  years  (now  bordering  on 
four-score,  for  nearly  sixty-five  of  whieli 
I  have  made  Canada  my  home)  to  under- 
take such  an  extension.  However, 
between  now  and  next  spring  I  intend 
looking  out  for  a  practical  vine-dresser 
and  experienced  culturist,  or  one  dis- 
posed to  invest  some  capital,  to  join  me 
in  carrying  out  the  project  to  the  de- 
sired extent. 


u 


THE   CA.NADIAN    HORTICULTUKIST. 


PRESERVING  PLUMS  FROM  THE 
CURCULIO. 

BV  J.    W.   JOHNSTON,     CAMPBELLFORD. 

Last  spring,  as  usual,  I  had  a  pros- 
pect of  a  large  crop  of  plums,  if  the 
cure  alio  would  only  let — say  half  of 
t^em  alone.  For  years  back  I  tried 
every  remedy  I  heard  of,  including 
smoking  with  coal  tar,  jarring  trees  on 
sheets,  &c.  ;  but  with  very  indifferent 
results,  as  every  one  who  has  tried  it 
knows  that  large  trees  can  not  be  suc- 
cessfully jarred. 

So  last  spring  I  resolved  to  put  in 
practice  a  theory  I  have  had  in  my 
mind  for  a  long  time,  viz.  :  to  coat  the 
plums  over  with  some  substance  that 
would  not  in  any  way  injure  the  fruit, 
and  yet  be  imj^ervious  to  the  attacks  of 
the  curculio.  I  had  not  long  to  wait. 
The  fruit  was  no  sooner  set  than  the 
curculio  began  to  work  in  a  lively 
manner.  If  I  meant  to  do  anything  I 
had  to  hurry  up.  Well,  early  in  the 
morning  I  went  out  with  a  pail  of  dry 
air-slaked  lime  and  threw  it  thoroughly 
through  the  trees,  using  up  two  pails- 
ful  on  six  trees  about  seven  years 
planted.  Every  leaf,  twig,  and  plum 
was  thoroughly  coated  with  lime. 
When  the  sun  dried  the  dew  off,  the 
trees  were  dazzling  white.  This  coat- 
ing I  repeated  three  times,  as  winds 
and  rains  took  it  off.  The  result  was 
the  trees  were  overloaded.  The  cur- 
culio would  not  bite  the  lime  off  to  get 
at  the  plums.  They  could  be  seen 
running  along  the  twigs  during  the  day 
with  their  long  noses  elevated  at  an 
angle  of  45  degrees,  while  on  the  other 
trees  not  so  treated  they  were  positively 
travelling  with  their  noses  down.  The 
lime  did  not  injure  either  the  fruit  or 
the  foliage.  I  had  about  one  hundred 
bearing  trees,  and  only  those  limed 
escaped  ;  on  the  latter  not  a  plum  was 
stung.  That  this  remedy  will  prove 
successful  wherever  faithfully  applied, 
I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  j  but  if 


he  is  allowed  a  day  or  two  tlie  start,  \ 
the  plums  will  be  all  stung  before  you  ^ 
know  where  you  are.  Before  the  fruit 
is  ripe  the  wind  and  i-ustling  of  the 
leaves  will  have  taken  all  the  lime  off 
the  fruit.  As  soon  as  the  curculio  egg- 
laying  season  is  over,  say  four  weeks 
after  fruit  sets,  the  trouble  is  ended. 

Remedy  No.  2  is  another  pUm  I  had 
thought  of  for  some  time,  but  have  not 
yet  tried  it,  as  I  found  the  first  so  suc- 
cessful. It  would  consist  of  a  balloon- 
shaped  net  of  any  cheap  material,  such 
as  cheese-bandage  cloth,  costing  four  to 
six  cents  per  yard ;  and  as  each  net 
could  be  used  several  seasons,  it  would 
not  be  expensive.  It  would  only  re- 
quire to  be  on  the  trees  about  four 
weeks,  and  would  save  the  entire  crop. 
One  side  of  the  net  would  require  to  be 
left  open,  with  small  hooks  (and  eyes 
or  not)  sewed  down  the  edge  to  close  it 
when  the  tree  was  enveloped,  and  then 
closely  tied  at  the  bottom  to  prevent 
any  curculio  effecting  an  entrance. 
The  trees  would  require  to  be  well 
jarred  first  to  make  sure  of  none  of  the 
enemy  being  left  within.  The  cloth 
netting  might  be  made  very  durable  by 
soaking  in  oil  of  some  kind.  I  hope 
the  members  of  the  Ontario  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  will  try  one  or 
both  of  these  remedies  next  spring  and 
report  success. 

REPORT  ON  TREES,  &c.  RECEIVED. 

I  submit  the  following  report  of  the 
trees,  &c.,  received  from  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association,  with  the  results  : 

1872.  McLaughlin  Plum  grew  well, 
is  a  fine  tree,  in  good  bearing.  This 
plum  as  a  dessert  plum  is  in  every 
respect  first-class,  of  the  finest  flavor, 
but  too  tender  to  send  to  market  except 
in  small  baskets  packed  like  straw- 
berries. 

1873.  Grimes  Golden  Pippin— Tree 
dead  when  it  came  ;  evidently  had  been 
badly  heeled  in  and  winter  killed. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


15 


1874.  Downing  Grooseberry  and 
Salem  Grape — Both  very  satisfactory. 
The  gooseberry  is  perfectly  free  from 
mildew,  bears  well,  and  in  my  opinion 
is  one  of  the  best  small  gooseberries  I 
have  seen,  being  nearly  double  the  size 
of  the  Houghton  Seedling,  and  just  as 
hardy  and  prolific.  The  Salem  Grape 
is  so  well  known  much  need  not  be 
said.  It  ripens  well  here,  and  we 
esteem  it  one  of  the  very  best  out-door 
grapes  for  the  table,  being  sweet  and 
luscious.  The  vine,  like  most  of  Rogers' 
Seedlings,  is  a  very  strong  grower, 

1875.  Swayzie  Pomme  Grise  Apple 
and  Flemish  Beauty  Pear — The  apple 
tree  was  very  poor,  being  nearly  gnawed 
through  by  mice  when  it  came ;  with 
care  it  has  lived  but  not  borne  any 
fruit  yet.  The  Flemish  Beauty  Pear 
is  hardy.  The  fruit  needs  no  descrip- 
tion, but  with  me  it  has  a  tendency  to 
fire-blight.  There  is  no  pear  has  suc- 
ceeded so  well  with  me  as  the  Buerre 
d'Anjou ;  it  passed  last  winter — the 
severest  we  ever  knew  here — without 
injury,  when  almost  every  variety  were 
hurt.  The  fruit  is  jSrst-ckss,  and 
ripens  at  a  season  when  fruit  is  getting 
scarce  in  the  market. 

1876.  GlassSeedling  Plum— A  hardy 
tree  and  good  grower.  The  plum,  being 
late,  is  a  good  market  plum  ;  preserves 
well. 

1877.  Diadem  Raspberry — Straw- 
berries— The  plants  received  were  rul> 
bish  ;  the  raspberry  a  shoot  broken  off 
an  old  root,  and  two  strawberries, 
apparently  third  or  fourth  runners. 
Neither  grew,  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected. 

1878.  Burnet  Grape — The  vine  re- 
ceived in  good  order  has  grown  well, 
fruited  a  few  bunches  last  year,  but  not 
sufficient  for  a  test.  The  grape  does 
not  appear  to  set  its  fruit  well, — some- 
thing like  the  Creveling  and  Eumelan. 
The  vine  being  now  strong,  this  year 
will  probably  test  its  quality  in  that 


rpsi  ect  as  well  as  the  flavor  and  time 
of  ripening. 

1879.  Arnold's  Ontario  Apple — Re- 
ceived in  good  order,  lias  grown  fairly 
but  of  course  not  yet  fruited. 

1880.  Saunder's  Seedling  Raspberry. 
No.  72 — A  good  plant,  made  good 
shoots  this  year.  Will  not  be  able  to 
form  an  opinioir  of  the  fruit  till  next 
summer. 

1881.  Dempsey  Potatoe — A  strong 
grower  ;  the  excessive  drought  this 
season,  causing  a  failure  of  crops  in 
most  places,  prevents  mo  giving  an 
opinion  respecting  their  p.oductiveness 
or  quality. 

Yours  respectfully, 

GiioRGE  Elliott. 


THE  GRAPE. 

{From  the  address  of  the  Hon.  Marshall  P.  Wilder,  Prt' 
sident  of  the  American  Poirwlogical  Society,  at  its 
last  session,  Sept.  lU,  1S81.) 

In  the  order  of  discussion  I  have 
placed  the  Grape  first  on  our  roll.  No 
other  fruit,  unless  it  be  the  strawberry, 
is  now  attracting  so  much  attention; 
and  perhaps  no  other,  if  we  except  the 
apple,  is  of  more  importance  as  a  source 
of  revenue,  or  as  an  article  of  luxury 
for  our  tables,  as  the  Grapa.  No  other 
country  possesses  such  a  vast  extent  of 
territory,  or  possibilities  for  its  success- 
ful culture,  and  in  no  other  section  of 
the  globe  is  there,  at  the  present  time, 
such  encouragement  thereto.  In  fact, 
it  seems  as  though  Providence  had  de- 
signed many  parts  of  our  continent 
especially  for  its  cultivation.  The 
Scandinavians,  as  the  Sagas  have  it, 
eight  hundred  years  ago,  here  found 
the  vine  growing  so  abundantly  that 
they  gave  to  our  coast  the  name  of 
Vinland.  Chamj)lain,  in  his  voyages 
on  our  coast  about  five  hundred  years 
afterwards,  saw  vines  in  abundance. 
The  Pilgrim  Fathers,  at  Plymouth, 
found  grai^es,  **  white  and  red,  and  very 
strong,"  and  should  the  phylloxera  con- 


16 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


tinue  its  devastation  in  the  vineyards 
of  the  Old  "World,  our  country  may 
become  the  most  favored  vineland  of 
the  world. 

In  the  whole  circle  of  our  pomologi- 
cal  progress  there  is  no  fruit  which  ex- 
cites so  much  enterprise  and  interest, 
whose  culture  is  being  so  rapidly  ex- 
tended, or  which  gives  so  great  promise 
of  success  as  that  of  the  Grape ;  and 
should  this  same  enterprise  continue 
for  fifty  years  to  come,  we  can  hardly 
estimate  its  value  as  a  revenue  in  our 
country.  All  localities  are  not  equally 
suited  to  its  growth,  but  where  our 
wild  species  are  fouild,  other  new  and 
improved  sorts,  produced  by  hybridiz- 
ation, will  be  found  equally  well  adapt- 
ed. With  every  succeeding  year  new 
and  valuable  varieties  are  coming  to 
notice,  either  adapted  to  special  loca- 
tions or  purposes,  or  for  general  culti- 
vation. Nor  is  it  too  much  to  hope 
that  ere  the  close  of  this  century,  with 
our  present  zeal  and  skill,  we  shall 
produce  varieties  that  will  rival  the 
choicest  kinds  of  the  most  favored 
climes.  Even  now  we  have  those  which 
compare  favorably  with  our  foreign  va- 
rieties, and  we  believe  the  time  is  not 
distant  when  the  aroma  of  our  native 
sorts,  now  so  much  despised  by  some, 
will  become,  when  chastened  down  as 
as  it  has  been  in  the  Brighton,  Duchess, 
Rochester,  and  Monroe,  one  of  the  ex- 
cellent characteristics  of  our  American 
grapes. 

How  potent  the  influences  of  this 
art !  Little  did  Mr.  Bull  think  what 
a  blessing  he  was  conferring  on  the 
world  when  he  sowed  the  seed  which 
produced  the  Concord  grape,  the  mother 
of  so  many  improved  varieties.  See 
the  number  of  white  varieties  (not  to 
speak  of  others)  which  have  been  pro- 
duced mostly  from  this :  the  Martha, 
Lady,  Pocklington,  Lady  Washington, 
Hayes,  Ann  Arbor,  Prentiss,  Duchess, 
and  still  another  soon  to  be  within  our 


reach,  which  is  heralded  like  Niagara 
herself  as  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
world. 

The  illustrations  of  this  improvement 
are  manifested  in  the  numerous  seed- 
lings obtained  by  crosses  on  the  Con- 
cord, some  of  which  are  of  a  very  re- 
markable character,  possessing  great 
size  and  beauty,  and  whose  vigor  and 
productiveness  are  declared  to  be  even 
greater  than  that  of  their  mother.  We 
see  this  improvement  also  in  the  crosses 
of  a  wild  Grape  with  the  foreign  species 
by  Rogers,  as  shown  by  the  ameliora- 
tion of  the  native  aroma  in  the  Barry, 
Wilder,  and  Lindley,  the  last  named, 
like  the  Jefferson  of  Ricketts,  possess- 
ing a  peculiar  rich  flavor,  which  might, 
with  propriety,  be  denomirated,  and 
may  yet  be  distinguished  as  the  Muscat 
of  America.  Nor  do  I  doubt  that  we 
shall  in  time  produce  varieties  which 
will  compare  favorably  with,  and  per- 
haps be  equal  in  size,  beauty,  and  ex- 
cellence, to  the  Cannon  Hall,  or  other 
Muscat,  now  so  highly  praised  for  their 
peculiar  aroma.  The  Pocklington,  in 
size  and  beauty,  is  an  approach  to  this. 
Nor  is  it  unreasonable  to  suppose  but 
we  may  have  a  Grape,  if  we  have  it 
not  now  in  the  Duchess,  that  is  as  well 
adapted  to  exportation  as  the  White 
Malaga,  and  of  much  better  quality. 
What  has  been  done  can  be  done  again. 
Nature  has  in  her  laboratory  infinite 
stores  of  the  same  elements  which  have 
produced  our  finest  fruits,  and  we  have 
only  to  knock  at  her  portals  and  pro- 
nounce the  SESAME,  when  she  will  open 
to  us  the  secrets  of  her  wonder-working 
power.  These  predictions  may  be  con- 
sidered as  the  fantasies  or  vagaries  of 
imagination'  or  as  indications  of  a  too 
ardent  desire  for  progress.  No,  no, 
neither  are  they  the  results  of  chance. 
They  are  founded  on  those  immutable 
laws  which  govern  all  sciences,  in  the 
control  of  mind  over  matter,  and  the 
power  of  man  to  assist  nature  in  her 


THE   OA-NADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


17 


onward  raarcli  to  higher  and  higher 
states  of  perfection.  That  we  shall  pos- 
sess such  improved  varieties  as  we  have 
predicted  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt. 
Our  country  is  large  and  varied  in  cli- 
mate and  soil.  Though  we  of  the 
North  cannot  expect  to  grow  tropical 
fruits— nor  may  we  grow  a  Grape  of 
the  excellence  of  the  Black  Hamburg 
suited  to  out-door  cultivation — -yet  we 
can  produce  fruits  of  great  importance 
to  ourselves,  and  of  inestimable  value 
to  other  portions  of  our  country,  as  we 
have  seen  in  the  Baldwin,  Rhode  Island 
Greening,  and  Roxbury  Russet  apples, 
in  the  Diana,  the  Concord,  the  Rogers 
Grapes,  tlie  Bartlett  pear,  and  other 
fruits  which  have  been  sent  out  from 
New  England. 


FARMERS  AND  SMALL  FRUITS. 
In  travelling  about  the  country  among 
he  farmers  I  have  often  wondered  why 
'  few  of  them  raised  small  fruits.  Not 
le  in  five,  on  an  average,  tastes  any 
^ind  of  small  fruit  of  his  own  growing 
from  one  year  to  another.  Formerly  a 
few  currant  bushes  struggled  with  the 
2;ra.ss  and  weeds  in  the  fence  corners  and 
'ave  an  abundance  of  small  but  whole- 
jome  fruit,  but,  with  the  worm  as  a  foe, 
:he  bushes  were  unequal  to  the  contest ; 
he  gra.s.s  waves  triumphantly  over  their 
lead  remains,  and  the  farmer  is  entirely 
vithout  small  fruit.  Why  this  great 
;carcity  ]  Certainly  not  because  farm- 
ii-s  do  not  love  fine  fruit.  Ask  any  one 
)f  them  into  your  plat,  and  you  will  be 
lurprised  to  see  what  capacity  he  has 
or  stowing  a  large  quantity  in  a  small 
ipace.  Nor  is  it  because  he  is  too  stingy 
or  he  will  send  the  boys  and  girls,  and 
ven  go  himself,  miles  away  to  a  few 
'raggling  wild  bushes  to  pick  a  few 
•or  berries  that  cost  him  two  or  three 
. lines  as  much  as  it  would  to  grow  those 
rery  much  better  on  his  own  farm. 

There  are  three  reasons  to  which  we 
•an  attribute  this  lack  of  small  fruits 
2 


on  the  farm  :  First  comes  carelessness. 
The  farmer  sees  the  fruit  in  its  prime 
and    resolves    to   raise    plenty   for   his 
family,  but  before  planting  time  comes 
he  has  partially  forgotten  his  good  pur- 
pose, and  lets  the  proper  season  go  by. 
Second,  the  mistaken  notion  that  pre- 
vails as  to  the  great  labor  and  expense 
of  growing:  what  would  be  needed    to 
supply  his  family.     The  last  and  best 
reason  is   that   the    Farmer   does   not 
appreciate  the  value  of  the  small  fruits 
to  his  family,  both  as  food  and  as  medi- 
cine.   When  he  looks  at  the  early  straw- 
berry blushing  and  nodding  amid  the 
dew-laden  leaves,  and  his  mouth  waters 
for  a  taste,  he  does  not  realize  that  na- 
ture is  yearning  within  him  for  the  acid 
contained  in  the  fruit,  to  help  relieve 
the  system  from  the  accumulations  of 
winter,  and  prepare  it  to  endure  sum- 
mer's heat.     He  does  not  consider  that 
each  of  the  fruits  in  its  season  contains 
some  principle  that  is  just  adapted  to 
the  wants  of  the  body  at  that  time,  and 
that  many  times  the  free  use  of  each 
would  save  large  amounts  in  doctor's 
bills,  as  well  as  much   suffering,    and 
many  times  the  life  of  a  beloved  one. 
The  average  American    farmer  is  not 
yet  educated  up  to  the  full  enjoyment 
of  his  high  calling  and  God  given  pri- 
vileges.    He  does  not  yet  realize  that 
he  is  near  the  fountain-head,  and  is  en- 
titled to  partake  first  and  of  the  best  of 
everything  that  grows,  and  that  when 
he   neglects   to    provide   himself    and 
family  with  these   health-giving  neces- 
saries he  is  culpably  responsible  for  the 
bad  results. 

To  correct  these  false  impressions, 
and  to  cause  him  to  provide  and  enjoy 
these,  his  rights  as  the  tiller  of  the  soil, 
would  be  conferring  on  himself  and 
family  a  great  &n\}  lasting  benefit.  One 
acre  of  good  land,  properly  divided  and 
cultivated,  would  furnish  any  ordinary 
farmer's  family  all  the  fruits,  fresh  and 
canned,  needed  from  the  earliest  ripen- 


IS 


THU  CANADIAN   HORTTOTTLTITEIST. 


ing  of  the  strawberry  to  its  coming 
again.  To  what  other  use  could  an 
acre  of  land  be  put  that  would  add  so 
much  of  health,  comfort  and  enjoyment. 
In  planting,  the  farmer  should  not  .fall 
into  the  too  common  error  of  using 
small  beds  or  plats  here  and  there  scat- 
tered about,  but  let  the  rows  run  the 
whole  length,  and  so  place  them  that 
the  main  cultivation  can  be  done  with  a 
horse.  This  will  save  much  hard  work 
and  valuable  time  in  hoeing.  Another 
fact  he  should  remember  :  "  The  easiest 
cultivation  is  thorough  cultivation"  — 
no  half-way  business.  It  is  much  easier 
to  keep  the  land  entirely  clean  than  to 
keep  it  half  overrun  with  grass  and 
weeds.  He  should  remember  this  acre 
is  worth  two  in  corn  or  potatoes  and 
give  it  good  care,  allowing  nothing  but 
fruit  to  grow.  Of  kinds,  it  should 
contain  at  least  strawberries,  raspber- 
ries (red  and  black),  currants,  black- 
berries and  grapes. — Rural  New  Yorker. 


JELLIES  AND  PRESERVES. 

Currant  AND  Gooseberry  Jelly. — 
The  currants  are  beginning  to  ripen, 
and  those  housekeepers  who  want  nice 
jelly  must  take  them  in  time  before  the 
juice  begins  to  grow  thin,  else  they  will 
have  trouble  to  make  their  jelly  "come." 
Look  them  over  carefully,  crush  and 
strain  through  a  jelly-bag,  then  measure 
the  juice,  and  for  every  pint  allow  a 
pint  of  best  white  sugar.  Put  the 
juice  over  to  boil  in  a  porcelain-lined 
kettle,  and  boil  twenty  minutes  or  more, 
according  to  quantity  and  thickness  of 
the  juice.  It  is  better  to  boil  little 
juice  at  a  time  if  you  want  your  jelly 
very  nice,  as  the  less  time  it  is  over 
the  tire,  the  lighter-colored  it  will  be. 
Skim  off  carefully  all  the  refuse  that 
rises  to  the  top.  Put  your  sugar  in  the 
oven  and  heat  it  hot,  being  very  care- 
ful not  to  scorch  it ;  then  add  it  to  the 
boiling  juice   and    boil   three   or   four 


minutes,  or  until  a  few  drops  taken  out 
on  the  tin  will  make  jelly  readily,  then 
turn  into  jelly-cups  and  set  away  in  a 
dry,  cool  place.  Gooseberries  make  a 
nice  tart  jelly,  delicious  with  meat. 
Pick  the  berries  clean,  cover  with  cold 
water,  and  boil  till  soft;  strain  through 
a  jelly-bag,  then  proceed  the  same  as 
in  making  currant  jelly. 

Though  I  am  fond  of  canned  fruit 
(when  it  is  properly  put  up  and  comes 
out  from  the  can  fresh  and  free  from 
mould  or  must),  there  are  some  fruits 
which,  for  variety,  I  like  "  done  up"  in 
the  old-fashioned  ways,  and  as  I  have 
some  receipts  which  I  think  will  please, 
I  give  them  for  the  benefit  of  other 
housekeepers  who  like  an  occasional 
dish  of  preserves,  spiced  fruit,  jam  or 
marmalade. 

To  Preserve  Plums. — Look  them 
over  and  pick  out  all  that  are  imperfect 
or  unsound.  Make  a  syrup  of  clean, 
brown  sugar  and  clarify  it.  When  per- 
fectly clear  and  boiling  hot,  pour  it  over 
the  plums.  Letthemremain  in  the  syrup  ' 
two  days,  then  drain  it  off,  make  it 
boiling  hot,  skim  it  and  pour  it  over 
again  ;  let  it  remain  another  day  or 
two,  then  put  over  the  fire  and  simmer 
gently  till  the  syrup  is  thick  and  rich. 
Use  one  pound  of  sugar  to  each  pound 
of  fruit. 

Peach  Butter. — Pare  and  stone 
good  peaches  and  cut  them  in  quarters. 
Cook  them  two  hours ;  then  to  each 
pound  of  fruit  add  half  a  pound  of  sugar, 
and  cook  two  hours  longer,  stirring 
almost  constantly. 

Spiced  Currants. — To  5  ft)  of  fruit, 
add  3  ft)  of  sugar  (either  white  or  good 
clean  brown),  1  pt.  of  good  cider  vine- 
gar, 2  large  tablespoonfuls  of  ground 
cinnamon,  1  tablespoonful  of  ground 
cloves,  and  1  tablespoonful  of  ground 
allspice.  Heat  all  together  in  a  porce- 
lain-lined kettle  ;  skim  out  the  fruit, 
and  boil  down  the  juice  till  it  will  make 
jelly ;  return  the  currants,  and  let  it 


TfiE   CANAt>IAJ^   HORTICtJLTtJBIBT. 


19 


boil  up  once  ;  then  pour  into  your  fruit 
jar.  "When  cold,  tie  or  paste  a  thick 
paper  over  the  top,  and  set  where  it  is 
dry  and  cool. 

Spiced  Grapes. —  Get  ready  5  B) 
of  fruit,  4  5)  of  sugar,  2  tablespoon- 
fuls  each  of  cinnamon  and  mace,  and  1 
pt.  of  the  best  vinegar.  Boil  the  sugar, 
spices  and  vinegar  together  about  one 
hour,  or  until  thick.  Heat  the  grapes 
and  rub  through  a  colander.  Add  the 
syrup  to  the  fruit,  and  let  it  boil  up 
once. 

Currant  Preserves.  —  To  each  lb 
of  fruit,  add  one  S)  of  good  white 
sugar,  and  set  it  on  the  stove.  Let 
it  come  to  a  boil ;  skim  out  the  cur- 
rants, and  boil  the  syrup  down  till  it 
will  make  jelly  ;  put  back  the  fruit, 
and  dip  into  bowls.  When  cold,  paste 
paper  wet  with  white  of  egg  over  the 
top,  and  set  away. 

Crab-Apple  Marmalade. — Boil  the 
apples  in  a  kettle  till  soft,  with  just 
enough  water  to  cover  them.  Mash 
and  strain  through  a  colander  ;  then  to 
a  pound  of  fruit  take  three-fourths  of 
a  pound  of  sugar,  and  boil  half  an  hour. 
— Susan  Busybee,  in  Country  Gentle- 


HARDY  PEACHES. 

In  such  portions  as  are  favorable  to 
the  growth  and  bearing  of  the  peach, 
we  have  not  discovered  much  difference 
in  the  endurance  in  winter  of  the  dif- 
ferent varieties,  the  temperature  rarely 
passing  lower  than  1 2°  below  zero.  As 
the  shoots  of  most  of  the  sorts  are  never 
winter-killed,  no  material  difference  can 
be  seen  in  the  hardiness  of  the  varieties. 
But  in  many  places  at  the  West,  where 
the  growth  is  more  luxuriant,  the  ripen- 
ing of  the  young  wood  not  so  perfect, 
and  where  the  thermometer  often  sinks 
to  20°  below  zero,  the  case  is  different. 
D.  B.  Wier,  of  the  Prairie  Farmer, 
says  the  past  winter  was  very  useful  to 
the   fruit-grower   in   indicating   hardy 


sorts  for  future  propagation.  He  men- 
tions two  well-known  peaches,  both 
great  favorites,  known  as  Crawford's 
Early  and  Oldmixon  Free.  The  Craw- 
ford is  large,  handsome  and  popular, 
and  sells  at  the  highest  price,  but  the 
tree  and  fruit  buds  are  easily  injured 
by  severe  cold.  The  Oldmixon,  although 
not  so  large  and  handsome,  bears  in  that 
State  four  bushels  of  fruit  to  one  borne 
by  the  Crawford,  and  notwithstanding 
the  former  sells  at  a  lower  price,  it  gives 
the  grower  twice  as  much  money  tree 
for  tree.  The  Crawford  bears  well  in 
good  seasons  when  prices  generally  are 
down,  and  the  Oldmixons  sell  at  much 
higher  prices  in  scarce  years  than  the 
Crawfords  in  the  plentiful  seasons  when 
they  bear.  For  this  reason  it  is  recom- 
mended in  all  localities  where  this  differ- 
ence occurs,  as  the  most  profitable  and 
worthy  of  more  extensive  planting. — 
Country  Gentleman. 


BLACK  RASPBERRIES. 
We  expect  to  add  to  our  raspberry 
plantation  by  setting  out  this  fall 
twenty-five  acres  more  of  black  caps, 
and  these  will  be  in  about  the  follow- 
ing proportions  :  Three  acres  in  Thorn- 
less,  five  acres  Tyler,  five  acres  Mam- 
moth Cluster,  twelve  acres  Gregg. 
This  gives  good  pickings,  first  to  last. 
The  Davidson  Thornless  are  so  very 
early  that  we  get  twelve  to  fifteen 
cents  per  quart  for  bulk  of  crop.  The 
Tyler  is  very  near  as  early,  and  yields 
larger  and  a  much  longer  crop,  taking 
the  place  of  the  Doolittle — which  sort 
is  so  much  afliected  by  the  rust  the 
country  over.  The  Tyler  is  a  rank 
grower,  and  has  never  shown  rust  with 
us ;  and  were  we  to  be  confined  to  but 
two  black  raspbemes  for  market  pur- 
poses, we  should  choose  Tyler  and  Gregg 
— though  the  Mammoth  Cluster  is 
needed  to  fill  in  well  between  the  two, 
as  the  Tyler  is  about  gone  when  the 


THE   CANADIAN  HOB  TICULTCEIST. 


Gregg  gets  into  good  picking,  and  such 
pickings  we  never  saw  in  the  black 
raspberry  line.  The  bushes  are  liter- 
ally covered  over  with  clusters. 

Our  best  pickers  would  average  ten 
to  twelve  quarts  per  hour  of  the  Gregg. 
The  bush  is  a  rank  grower  and  perfect- 
ly hardy  with  us.  With  black  rasp- 
berries dried,  quoted  at  twenty-seven 
to  thirty  cents  per  lb.,  we  see  no  danger 
of  overdoing  the  business  for  years  to 
come. — A.  M.  Purdy,  in  Fruit  Re- 
corder.   

THE  NEWER  STRAWBERRIES. 

Finch's  Prolific. — Originated  in 
Southern  Ohio,  and  thought  to  be  a 
cross  of  Russell's  Prolific  with  W^ilson. 
We  have  only  tested  it  one  season,  but 
are  strongly  impressed  with  its  value 
as  a  very  productive  and  firm  market 
berry;  plant  strong  and  healthy;  fruit 
large,  good  form  and  color;  medium 
quality,  very  firm ;  think  it  should  be 
tested  by  every  one  growing  fruit  for 
market. 

Bid  WELL. — A  very  valuable  early 
variety;  plants  strong  and  vigorous 
even  on  light  soil;  very  productive, 
fruit  of  large  size;  long  and  conical 
in  shape,  with  an  occasional  coxcomb 
berry;  color,  a  glossy  crimson;  superior 
quality. 

Marvin. — A  cross  between  Wilson 
and  Jucunda.  It  will  not  thrive  on 
light,  dry  soil ;  on  heavy  clay  soil  it  is 
of  gi-eat  value ;  fruit  of  large  size,  dark 
red,  veiy  firm  and  solid,  good  quality ; 
and  what  is  best  of  all,  the  very  latest 
to  ripen. 

Mount  Yernon,  or  Kirkwood. — 
Originated  in  Southern  New  Jersey, 
and  said  to  be  the  most  profitable  mar- 
ket berry  ever  grown  there.  The  plant 
is  one  of  the  most  vigorous  on  our  place ; 
very  productive,  fruit  of  medium  size 
and  quality ;  moderately  firm ;  ripens 
very  late,  and  valuable  for  market  on 
that  account. — Fruit  Recorder, 


MOORE'S  EARLY  GRAPE  IN  THE 
PROVINCE  OF  QUEBEC. 

The  Fruit  Committee  of  the  Montreal 
Horticultural  Society,  in  the  Report 
for  1880,  say  of  this  variety  that  it  is 
fully  equal  in  quality  to  the  Concord, 
that  it  ripens  before  the  Hartford 
Prolific,  or  as  nearly  as  possible  with 
the  Champion,  known  there  more  re- 
cently as  Beaconsfield,  but  quite  sur- 
passing it  in  flavor,  and  add,  "  we 
believe  this  variety  will  prove  of  great 
value  to  our  Province  on  account  of  its 
early  ripening,  and  because,  as  we  are 
informed,  the  vine  is  vigorous  and 
healthy.  It  has  been  fruited  in  Ontario, 
and  is  there  much  esteemed.  The 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society, 
after  testing  this  grape  for  several  years^ 
awarded  it  a  prize  of  sixty  dollars  as 
the  best  new  seedling  grape." 


THE  WILDER  GRAPE  IN  THE 
PROVINCE  OF  QUEBEC. 

At  the  recent  exhibition  of  the  Hor- 
ticultural Society  of  L'Islet  County, 
Province  of  Quebec,  latitude  47°  noi-th, 
Mr.  Auguste  Dupuis  exhibited  this 
grape,  grown  by  him  in  the  open  air, 
perfectly  ripe  and  of-fii'st  quality.  W^e 
are  fully  pei-suaded  that  this  grape  will 
prove  to  be  one  of  the  most  valuable  of 
the  Rogers  varieties  in  our  climate. 

PACKING  GRAPES. 

I  wish  to  offer  a  few  suggestions  to  the 
grape  growers  in  reference  to  packing 
grapes  for  shipping  to  niaiket.  The 
manner  of  packing  has  much  to  do  with 
the  condition  in  which  they  arrive  in 
market,  and  the  condition  has  much  to  do 
with  the  price  obtained. 

In  the  first  place,  grapes  should  never 
be  gathered  when  wet  with  dew  or  rain. 
The  best  method  that  I  have  tried  for 
gathering  grapes  is  to  take  a  sharp  pair  of 
shears  (pruning  shears  answer  well)  or  a 
sharp  knife  with  hooked  blade  :  take  hold 
of  the  buach  with  one  hand  and  cut  the 


THE   CANADIAN    HOBTICOtTDEIST. 


31 


stem  of  the  grapes  with  the  knife  or  shears 
held  in  the  other  hand,  and  take  off  all 
green  and  decayed  berries,  then  lay  in 
carefully  in  a  basket,  then  proceed  to  the 
next ;  when  the  basket  is  full,  carry  it  to 
the  place  of  packing,  which  should  be 
under  roof  ;  the  next  operation  is  to  pack 
them  in  boxes,  which  should  be  both 
light  and  strong  ;  twelve  by  eighteen 
inches,  and  four  or  five  inches  deep,  is  a 
convenient  size  and  will  hold  from  sixteen 
to  twenty  pounds  if  properly  packed ;  to 
do  this  right  it  will  take  some  experience. 

I  would  recommend  that  the  box  be  set 
on  a  table  of  convenient  height,  having 
the  back  end  of  the  box  elevated  three  or 
four  inches  by  placing  something  under 
it,  then  commence  at  the  end  next  to  you 
and  lay  the  bunches  in  carefully,  pressing 
them  together  gently,  but  not  hard  enough 
to  break  the  berries.  When  the  bottom 
of  the  box  is  covered  one  layer  deep,  com- 
mence at  the  front  again,  put  in  a  second 
layer,  placing  the  larger  bunches  in  the 
low  places  and  the  smaller  bunches  on  the 
high  places,  thus  keeping  them  as  level  as 
possible  ;  proceed  in  this  manner  until  the 
box  is  full,  being  careful  to  have  the  box 
as  level  as  possible  when  done.  Cutting 
bunches  to  fill  up  cavities  is  not  a  good 
practice,  as  large  bunches  sell  best. 

When  the  box  is  full  set  it  aside  and 
proceed  to  fill  another,  and  so  on  until  all 
are  full.  The  boxes  thus  filled  should  be 
allowed  to  stand  until  the  stems  of  the 
grapes  are  wilted  and  become  pliable, 
which  will  take  from  six  to  twenty-four 
hours  ;  then  take  a  board  and  cover  the 
box,  placing  one  hand  under  the  box  and 
the  other  on  the  cover  ;  then  set  the  box 
on  end  holding  the  cover  securely  in  its 
place  with  one  hand,  then  shake  or  jostle 
the  grapes  till  they  settle  compactly  toge- 
ther, which  is  easily  accomplished  after 
the  stems  are  wilted  ;  this  wiU  cause  a 
cavity  at  the  upper  end  of  the  box,  which 
should  be  carefully  filled  with  grapes  that 
have  had  stems  wilted  in  order  that  they 
may  pack  closely. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  to  avoid 
rubbing  the  bloom  off  the  grapes,  as  it 
injures  their  appearance,  and  it  is  thought 
they  will  not  keep  so  well.  Care  should 
be  taken  to  hide  the  stems  .of  the  last 
layer  and  have  the  berries  look  even  or 
level  oil  the  top.     Grapes  should  not  be 


allowed  to  stand  in  the  sunshine  after  they 
are  gathered.  Grapes  packed  according 
to  the  above  directions  can  be  transported 
a  long  distance  without  injury. — E.  P. 
BoTHWELL,  in  Fruit  Recorder. 


THE  CORWIN'S  COLLECTIONS. 

The  collection  of  specimens  and  relics 
brought  back  from  Arctic  regions  by  the 
Arctic  cruiser  Corwin  is  described  as  large 
and  interesting.  Lieutenant  Myrick  and 
Doty  have  accumulated  a  rare  assortment 
of  models  of  weapons  and  boats  used  by  the 
tribes  inhabiting  the  extreme  northern 
limits  of  the  habitable  portion  of  the  globe. 
These  models  include  boats  of  various 
shapes  and  character,  hunting  weapons, 
pipes,  bird  traps,  nets  and  other  trinkets 
which  would  prove  invaluable  to  a  col- 
lector of  the  curious  in  any  portion  of  the 
world.  Dr.  Ross,  of  Washington,  who 
accompanied  the  exf%dition,  has  a  col- 
lection of  very  rare  specimens  from  the 
Alaskan  and  Siberian  coasts,  as  well  as 
from  Herald  Island  and  Wrangell  Land. 
Among  these  are  specimens  of  the  flora, 
vegetation,  soil,  and  minerals  of  the  newly 
acquired  territory.  New  Columbia.  Among 
the  flora  may  be  seen  some  of  the  most 
delicate  and  beautiful  flowers,  and  while 
all  are  void  of  brilliant  colors,  the  leaves 
and  blossoms,  all  of  delicate  tints,  are  very 
beautiful  and  extraordinarily  curious  as 
coining  from  an  unexplored  land  so  close 
to  the  North  Pole.  The  grasses  are  also 
delicate,  and  resemble  both  the  common 
bunch  and  "foxtail"  variety  of  California 
and  the  blue  grass  of  the  Eastern  States. 
The  rock  from  Wrangell  Land  is  a  coarse 
blue  sandstone,  a  fine  slate,  and  some 
pale  drab  sandstone,  all  good  building 
material.  The  specimens  of  coal  from 
Cape  Lisbume,  on  the  north  coast  of 
Alaska,  are  of  a  deep  black  color,  soft  and 
bituminous.  It  is  easily  ignited,  and 
emits  a  strong  sulphuric  odor.  From 
Herald  Island  the  Corwin  brings  some  fine 
specimens  of  granite,  which  is  susceptible 
of  a  high  polish.  It  is  gray  in  color,  and 
resembles  the  granite  of  Lake  Superior 
and  the  coast  of  Maine.  Among  the  cu- 
riosities in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Haloran, 
the  boatswain  of  the  Corwin,  is  the  tooth 
of  a  mammoth  found  upon  the  shores  of 
Siberia.     It  ia  as  large  aa  a  20-pound  can- 


TfiB  CAiTADIAN   HOBTICULTUEIST. 


non  ball,  and  being  petrified,  is  equally 
as  heavy.  The  collection  of  curiosities 
brought  down  from  the  Arctic  by  the  Cor- 
win  is,  perhaps,  the  most  interesting  of 
any  brought  to  San  Francisco. 


A  NEW  GARDEN  IMPLEMENT. 
Mr.  Oren  Stoddard,  of  Busti,  N.  Y., 
has  patented  a  combined  hand  seed  plant- 
er and  fertilizer  distributer,  which  has  a 
very  perfect  action  and  separates  the  fer- 
tilizer from  the  seed  in  the  ground.  In 
this  device,  a  central  box  in  which  phos- 
phate or  other  fine  fertilizer  is  placed  has 
combined  with  it  outer  side  boxes  for  re- 
ception of  the  corn  or  other  seed.  Fol- 
lowers terminating  in  or  connected  with  a 
handle  above,  serve,  by  a  suitable  con- 
struction of  the  interior  of  the  boxes,  to 
discharge,  as  they  are  thrust  downward, 
the  fertilizer  and  seed  in  measured  quan- 
tities into  the  gMpnd,  the  same  passing 
out  through  or  oetween  elastic  plates, 
which  form  the  necessary  openings  in  the 
soil,  while  the  bottom  of  the  boxes  act  as 
a  stop  to  insure  the  seed  being  planted  at 
a  uniform  depth.  By  this  construction 
the  seed  for  each  hill  will  be  divided,  and 
the  fertilizer  will  be  deposited  in  the  space 
between  the  parts  of  the  hill  without 
being  in  contact  with  the  seed,  so  that 
the  seed  will  not  be  injured  or  killed  by 
the  fertilizer.  Connected  with  the  fer- 
tilizer follower  are  levers,  having  attached 
covering  plates  which,  as  said  follower  is 
drawn  upward,  force  the  soil  into  the 
openings  in  which  the  seed  and  fertilizer 
have  been  deposited,  and  cover  the  seed. 
— Scientific  American. 


THE   TOLMAN- CHAMPION-BEACONS- 
FIELD  GRAPE. 
This  grape  originated  within  two  miles 
of  where  1  now  sit  writing,  some  twelve  or 
fifteen  years   ago,  and  was  first  named 
the  Tolman.     After  having  proved  worth- 
less under  that  name,  certain  Rochester 
parties  bought  plants  of  Wm.  Day,  of  Syra- 
cuse, and  re-named  it' the  Champion,  and 
by  a  series  of  misrepresentations  they  have 
succeeded  in  scattering  it  broadcast  over 
the  country.     It  has  been  especially  re- 
commended for  the  latitude  of  Canada, 
but  I  am  pleased  to  read  that  one  Canada 


gentleman,  at  the  meeting  in  Boston, 
reported  that  it  could  not  be  sold  at  one 
cent  per  pound  in  the  streets  of  Montreal. 

Some  of  our  Canada brethem — evidently 
encouraged  by  the  succees  of  our  Rochester 
friends — have  again  re-named  it,  and  this 
time  it  is  the  Beaconsfield.  What  success 
it  will  have  under  this  last  name  remains  to 
be  seen,  but  name  it  as  you  will,  it  will  still 
remain  a  worthless  thing.  There  have 
been  more  lies  told  about  this  grape  than 
about  any  other  fruit  that  has  been  offer- 
ed to  the  public  in  the  last  twenty  years, 
and  it  is  now  time  that  these  false  state- 
ments should  be  discontinued. 

It  is  true  that  a  very  few  grape-growers 
have  made  it  pay,  by  selling  it  to  people 
who  had  not  yet  learned  its  worthlessness, 
but  this  was  only  a  transient  profit.  A 
few  years  ago  this  grape  sold  in  our  mar- 
ket at  fifteen  cents  per  pound  wholesale, 
but  from  year  to  year  the  price  declined, 
and  this  season  the  growers  of  it  were 
peddling  the  fruit  from  house  to  house  at 
two  and  three  cents  per  pound.  Now 
they  find  themselves  burdened  with  vines 
that  are  practically  good  for  nothing. 
When  will  people  learn  that  it  pays  best, 
in  the  long  run,  to  grow  good  fruit  ?  If  I 
have  been  rather  severe  upon  this  subject 
it  is  because,  in  my  opinion,  plain  talk 
is  best  in  this  particular  case. — Nelson 
RiTTER,  in  Country  Gentleman. 


CANKER  WORMS. 

This  is  how  I  got  rid  of  them  on  four 
hundred  apple  trees :  I  took  one  barrel 
and  a  half  of  tar,  warmed  it  in  a  pail  with 
half  rain-water,  and  applied  it  at  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  with  a  large 
paint  brush.  I  made  a  ring  around  the 
body  of  the  tree,  about  half , way  up  to  the 
limbs,  and  repeated  it  every  day  for  31 
days,  having  commenced  on  the  3rd  of 
April. 

The  habits  of  these  destructive  woims 
are  peculiar.  The  miller  that  lays  the  egg 
for  the  worm  commences  coming  out  of 
the  ground  as  soon  as  it  begins  to  thaw  in 
the  spring,  and  immediately  crawls  up  the 
tree  and  lays  its  eggs  in  and  on  the  buds, 
which  hatch  as  soon  as  the  tree  begins  to 
leaf,  when  its  work  begins.  These  mil- 
lers are  hardly  ever  seen  in  the  day-time, 
and  they  never  climb  the  tree  except  at 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTIOULTURIST. 


night.  From  a  half  an  hour  after  sundown 
they  appear  to  pop  out  of  the  ground  and 
start  straight  for  the  tree.  The  female 
has  no  wings  and  gets  stuck  in  the  tar, 
and  that  is  the  end  of  it. 

I  had  a  man  who  tarred  the  four  hun- 
dred trees  in  about  two  hours  ;  some  of 
the  trees  had  been  only  four  years  set  out. 
The  tar  was  applied  to  the  bark.  No 
harm  resulted  from  it  to  the  trees,  but 
the  worms  were  exterminated.  This  was 
done  some  six  years  ago.  My  trees  had 
been  stripped  for  five  years  of  fruit  and 
leaves,  but  not  a  canker  worm  has  been 
seen  since. — C.  W.  Palmer,  in  German- 
town  Telegraph. 


LACKAWANNA  CAULIFLOWER. 

This  is  a  new,  early,  large  heading 
variety,  which  was  first  oflFered  by  Mr. 
Tillinghast,  of  Pennsylvania,  last  spring. 
Although  the  past  season  has  been  ex- 
tremely unfavorable  to  the  growth  and 
development  of  cauliflowers,  which  require 
more  moisture  than  cabbages,  the  reports 
received  thus  far  from  this  have  been 
highly  satisfactory.  A  gardener  residing 
upon  a  tract  of  Long  Island  which  annually 
produces  thousands  of  barrels  of  cauli- 
.flowers  for  market,  writes  that  this  proved 
one  of  the  most  profitable  market  varieties 
introduced.  It  is  somewhat  later  in  the 
season  than  the  Snowball  and  Erfurt 
varieties,  but  grows  much  larger,  and  is  a 
remarkably  sure  header.  It  should  be 
sown  very  early  so  as  to  mature  before  the 
summer  droughts  come  on. 


SHEEP  AND  TREES. 
The  wash  recommended  by  me  last  sum- 
mer is  a  sure  preventive  of  sheep  bark- 
ing or  gnawing  fruit  or  any  other  trees. 
Take  soap,  the  dirtier  and  more  ofiensive 
the  better,  and  make  a  very  strong  suds  ; 
dissolve  one-fourth  pound  whale-oil  soap 
in  every  six  gallons,  and  into  this  stir 
sheep-manure  until  it  is  as  thick  as  good 
whitewash,  with  a  brush  or  old  stub  of 
broom,  and  with  this  mixture  wash  the 
trees  as  high  as  the  sheep  can  reach,  and 
no  sheep  will  come  near  enough  to  rub 
against  them  for  at  least  two  months,  the 
time  depending  upon  the  amount  of  rain. 
We  keep  the  mixture  handy  and  repeat 


the  application  as  often  as  necessary, 
usually  not  more  than  twice  in  a  summer. 
Sheep  running  among  fruit-trees  should 
have  plenty  of  good,  fresh  water  ;  it  is 
thirst  that  first  induces  them  to  gnaw  the 
bark,  but  after  they  have  once  got  a  taste 
they  eat  because  they  like  the  bark.  The 
above  mixture  will  eflfectually  keep  them 
away,  and  besides  is  a  very  good  appli- 
cation for  the  health  of  the  trees,  keeping 
the  bark  smooth  and  fine,  and  killing  any 
insect  that  it  comes  in  contact  with. — J. 
S.  Woodward,  in  New  York  Tribune. 


FORCING  THE  LABURNUM. 

The  pendant  spikes  of  the  Laburnum 
would  come  into  excellent  play  in  many 
forms  of  floral  decoration.  The  London 
Gardener's  Chronicle  says  of  an  attempt  to 
force  it : 

"  Among  forced  flowering  plants,  the 
Laburnum  takes  a  prominent  position, 
though  it  is  not  so  generally  seen  grown  in 
this  fashion.  Geo.  Buck,  the  gardener  at 
Castle  Ashby,  finds  it  invaluable  in  early 
spring,  and  his  forced  plants  yield  him 
splendid  wreaths  of  yellow  flowers,  which 
are  much  prized  for  house  decoration.  Late 
in  autumn  the  plants  are  lifted  from  the 
open  ground,  and  the  roots  thrust  into 
suitable  sized  pots  sans  ceremonie ;  but  the 
plants  flower  well  when  introduced  into 
heat,  notwithstanding  the  summary  charac- 
ter of  the  potting  process.  After  they 
have  done  flowering,  they  are  planted  out 
in  the  open  ground  for  the  summer,  and 
in  the  autumn  again  potted  and  placed 
in  warmth  as  stated  above." — Gardener's 
Monthly, 


Apple  Marmalade. — Apple  marmalade 
is  a  sunple  and  excellent  preserve,  and 
ofiers  a  change  from  the  ever  present  cider 
apple  sauce  and  stewed  apples,  seen  on  so 
many  country  tables.  Take  seven  pounds 
of  late  fall  pippin  and  stew  them  in  a  pint 
of  water.  Put  them  through  a  sieve,  add 
the  juice  and  the  grated  rind  of  three 
lemons.  Boil  about  one  hour ;  ten  minutes 
before  it  is  done  add  three  ounces  of  gin- 
ger root.  This  may  be  made  of  one-third 
quinces  and  two-thii-ds  apples,  when  the 
ginger  root  and  lemons  should  be  left 
out. 


24: 


THE   CAITADTA.N    HORTIOULTtJRTST. 


SPAKROW-GRASS. 
Dear  Brother, 
You've  asked  me  in  terms  to  relate 
How  to  grow  Sparrow-grass  to  have  it  first-rate ; 
You  ask  what  I  do,  and  how  it  is  done. 
To  insure  in  the  quality  letter  A.  one. 
I'll  disclose  to  you  all  you  desire  to  know, 
To  be  happy  at  dinner  and  win  at  the  show. 

Be  firm  in  the  thought  and  prompt  in  the  deed, 
Persist  in  destroying  each  insolent  weed  : 
Let  no  such  intruder  e'er  rob  of  its  food 
A  plant  that  is  worthy  of  everything  good. 
Yes,  root  out  the  weeds  whenever  you  pass. 
If  you  wish  for  a  crop  of  the  very  best  grass. 

When  autumn  arrives,  and  the  growth  is  done  brown, 

Take  a  terrible  knife  and  cut  it  all  down  ; 

Then  fork  the  beds  lightly  ;  don't  injure  the  roots. 

Or  you  ought  to  do  penance  with  peas  in  your  boots  ; 

Make  tidy  and  clean,  remove  all  the  litter, 

Then  take  a  short  rest  and  a  mugful  of  bitter. 

Now,  refreshed  by  the  essence  of  hops  and  of  malt, 
Bring  forth  your  supplies  of  soot  and  of  salt ; 
Spread  the  black  stuff  to  cover  the  bed  like  a  pall. 
Then  sprinkle  the  salt  to  make  white  over  all ; 
Some  stercus  (politely  so  called)  from  the  stable. 
Lay  two  inches  thick,  or  three,  if  you're  able. 

Leave  all  alone  now  to  the  mellowing  light. 

The  rain  and  the  frost,  and  the  dew  of  the  night  ; 

But  at  times  you  must  drench  the  bed  freely  with 

sewage. 
And  for  this  you  need  only  the  household  brewage. 
Put  it  on  as  you  get  it  direct  from  the  house. 
And,  if  needful,  be  secret  and  sly  as  a  mouse. 

When  winter  sets  in  leave  the  whole  thing  alone. 

If  you  sewage  in  frost  you  will  soon  be  undone  ; 

In  times  when  the  rain  kills  the  flowers  and  midges. 

Put  sewage  on  laud  that  is  laid  up  in  ridges. 

When  the  grass  has  done  growing  it  needs  a  long  rest. 

So  withholding  the  stimulants  now  is  the  best. 

Once  more  the  bright  spring,  with  her  elegant  tresses. 
Her  laughter  and  tears,  her  green  and  gold  dresses. 
Will  skim  o'er  the  land  to  make  us  all  merry. 
And  put  on  our  faces  the  bloom  of  the  cherry ; 
Then,  then,  my  Sparrow-grass  grower,  look  out : 
There  is  work  to  be  done,  if  your  sinews  are  stout. 

Your  loins  must  be  girded,  your  head  in  its  place. 
Your  feet  firmly  shod,  and  your  knife  in  its  case  ; 
Spread  straw  or  rough  litter  all  over  the  bed, 
To  screen  off  the  wind,  or  your  grass  will  rise  dead : 
By  "dead"  I  mean  dull,  dry,  shriveled,  and  shrunk. 
Like  a  man  who  much  tipples,  yet  never  gets  drunk. 

Once  again  pull  the  weeds,  let  the  salt-box  be  found  ; 

Give  a  dusting  like  snow  to  cover  the  ground  ; 

Do  all  this  before  a  green  top  shall  appear. 

And  you'll  have  your  grass  right  for  the  rest  of  the 

year. 
But  beware  of  great  haste  in  removing  the  sticks ; 
Let  them  grow  to  four  inches  or  even  to  six. 

Then  pull— do  not  cut— and  the  crop  will  be  fine  ; 
You  will  say  to  your  cook,  "  I  desire  to  dine  "  ; 
Rich  and  tender,  full-flavoured  'twill  be,  if  cooked 

right — 
Pill  the  stomach  with  food  and  the  soul  with  delight ! 
Oh,  the  world  must  be  good  tliat  in  plenty  produces 
A  grass  so  abounding  in  delicate  juices  ! 

Once  in  for  this  pastime,  bravely  go  on. 

Fill  the  basket  each  morn  in  advance  of  the  sun  ; 

But  on  June  seventeen  the  tables  must  turn— 

You  must  cease  to  take  grass,  though  your  fingers 

may  burn. 
One  more  merry  pull,  'tis  the  last  you  may  have, 
Unless  for  your  grass  you'd  be  digging  a  grave. 


Be  content,  let  it  grow,  make  an  end  of  your  feast ; 
Be  wise  like  a  man,  do  not  waste  like  a  beast ; 
Thus,  season  by  season,  as  weeks  and  days  pass, 
You  must  manage  the  work  as  yon  wish  for  good 

grass. 
If  you  think   the    name  vulgar   you  may,   without 

malice. 
Just  call  it  Asparagus  ofilciualis. 
— The  Gardener's  Magazine. 


BOOKS  AND  PERIODICALS. 
Hand-Book  of  Practical  Landscape  Gar- 
dening. By  T.  R.  Elliott.  Second  edi- 
tion, enlarged  and  improved.  Published 
by  D.  M.  Dewey,  Arcade  Hall,  Rochegter, 
K  Y.,  U.  S.  A. 

This  is  just  what  it  claims  to  be,  an 
eminently  practical  book,  containing 
pUns  drawn  to  a  scale,  and  the  places 
where  trees  and  shrubs  are  to  be  planted 
so  numbered  that  any  one  can  carry  out 
the  plan.  We  commend  it  to  every 
one  wishing  to  lay  out  his  grounds, 
however  small,  and  plant  them  in  a 
manner  that  will  be  a  source  of  pleasure 
to  him  ever  after.  School  Trustees 
will  also  find  useful  hints  for  planting 
the  grounds  around  the  school-house — 
a  matter  sadly  neglected,  and  that  de- 
serves attention.  The  book  only  costs 
a  dollar  and  fifty  cents. 

Ves^nor's  Almanac  for  1882.      Published 

by  J.  M.  Stoddart  &  Co.,   Philadelphia, 

Penn,  U.  S.  A. 

Contains  Mr.  Yennor's  prognostica- 
tions of  weather  for  the  year,  besides 
other   matter    interesting   to   weather 

students.  

Vick's  Floral  Guide,  1882. 

Of  the  many  Guides  and  Seed  and 
Plant  Catalogues  sent  out  by  our  Seeds- 
men and  Nurserymen,  and  that  are 
doing  so  much  to  inform  the  people 
and  beautify  and  enrich  our  country, 
none  are  so  beautiful,  none  so  instructive 
as  Vick's  Floral  Guide.  Its  paper  is 
the  choicest,  its  illustrations  handsome, 
and  given  by  the  thousand,  while  its 
colored  plates  are  gems.  This  work, 
although  costing  but  ten  cents,  is  hand- 
some enough  for  a  gift  book,  or  a  place 
on  the  parlor  table.  Published  by 
James  Vick,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


PRINTiCO  AT  THE  STJSAJi  P»«a8  B8TABLISHMKNT  OF  COPP,  C1,ARH  fc  CO,,  OOtiBORNfi  STREET,  TORONTO. 


Summer    Radishes 

Painted  For  VI  CK'S  Monthlt. 


Note. —  When  this  Number  went  to  press  ive  were  under  the  imprtasion  that  the  Colored 
Plate  of  *'  EVERLASTING  FLO  WEES  "  which  we  (yrikred  had  been  received.  It  turm  out 
that  it  cannot  be  supplied,  and  therefore  we  present  our  readers  toith  a  very  pretty  plate  of 
Summer  Radishes  instead.  This  change  has  catised  some  delay  in  the  mailing  of  this  number, 
and  toe  hope  that  our  Subscribers  vnll  accept  of  this  apology.  In  future  toe  expect  to  be  able  to 
mail  the  Magazine  promptly  on  the  Jir.^t  day  of  the  month. 


SUMMER  RADISHES. 


Through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  James 
Vick  we  present  our  readei-s  with  a 
colored  plate  of  Summer  Radishes. 
They  are  among  our  most  handsome 
vegetables,  and  when  nicely  grown  are 
not  only  an  acceptable  relish,  but  a  very 
pretty  ornament  to  the  table.  Our 
readers  will  notice  that  the  different 
varieties  are  numberefl.  The  two  num- 
bered 1  and  8  are  known  as  the  red 
turnip  radish,  No.  1  having  a  white 
tip.  No.  8  red  throughout.  When  well 
grown  the  flesh  is  white  and  crisp,  and 
the  radishes  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
in  diameter. 

No.  2  is  the  French  Breakfast  radish, 
olive-shaped,  light  scarlet  with  white 
tip,  a  very  pretty  radish,  and  at  the 
same  time  one  of  the  earliest  and  most 
tender.  ^  It  is  usually  esteemed  to  be 
the  best  of  the  radishes. 

No.  3  is  the  White  turnip,  and  No. 
4  the  Yellow  turnip  radish,  very  much 


the  same  as  the  red  turnip  variety,  the 
diflTerence  being  mainly  in  the  color, 
which  admits  of  a  more  pleasing  variety 
foi-  table  ornament. 

No.  5  is  the  Scai'let  olive-shaped,  a 
very  fine  sort,  of  excellent  quality,  ami 
much  esteemed.  It  does  not  ditfer 
materially  from  No.  2,  except  that  it  is 
not  ornamented  with  the  white  tip. 

No.  6  is  known  lus  the  Long  White 
Naples.  It  is  a  beautiful  clear  white, 
and  an  excellent  sort,  coming  in  after 
the  olive-shaped  varieties. 

No.  7  is  the  favorite  market  radish, 
known  as  the  Long  Scarlet,  a  beautiful 
root,  in  use  at  the  same  time  iia  the 
White  Naples,  with  which  it  fomis  a 
pleasing  contrast  when  nicely  arranged 
in  a  glass. 

Radishes  should'  be  grown  in  a  light, 
warm  soil,  well  sheltered  from  chilly 
winds,  where  they  will  grow  fast,  so 
that  they  may  be  crisp  and  tender. 


THE 


VOL.  v.] 


FEBRUARY,  1882. 


[No.  2. 


EYERLASTING    FLOWERS. 


The  beautiful  colored  plate  which  is 
given  to  our  readers  in  this  number 
will  shew  them  how  abundant  are  our 
floral  resources,  and  though  we  may  not 
be  able  to  have  a  green-house  or  con- 
servatory from  which  we  can  gather 
flowers  during  the  bleak  winter  days, 


open,  else  the  centre  is  apt  to  be  dis- 
colored. There  is  also  a  pure  white 
variety.  The  Helichrysum  flowers  are 
also  conspicuous,  the  one  brownish-red, 
and  the  other  dark-red,  with  purplish 
shade.  These  are  easily  grown  from 
seed   in  the  open  border  and   attain  a 


yet  we  need  not  be  without  our  bou-      height  of  about  two  feet.     Their  colors 


quet  for  table  or  mantel  decoration. 
These  brightly- colored  flowers  can  be 
grown  in  summer,  and  gathered  at  the 
projier  time,  laid  away  in  a  drawer, 
where  they  will  retain  all  their  fresh- 
ness of  coloring,  until  wanted  to  en- 
liven the  rooms  whence  the  perishing 
beauties  of  flora  have  vanished. 

Those  of  our  readere  who  are  fa-' 
miliar  with  these  everlasting  flowers 
will  readily  recognize  each  flower  in 
this  charming  bouquet.  That  beauti- 
ful Acroclinium  Roseum,  with  pink 
margined  petals  shading  to  white  at 
the  base,  is  a  tender  annual  that  should 
be  started  in  a  pot  or  box  in  the  house 
to  secure  quick  germination  of  the 
seed.  It  will  grow  to  about  eighteen 
inches  in  height,  and  yields  a  large 
number  of  its  pretty  daisy-like  flowers. 
These  should  be  gathered  the  first  day 
they  open,  or  even  before  they  are  fully 


are  white,  yellow,  and  various  sliades 
of  brownish-red.  The  flowers  should 
be  cut  just  before  they  are  fully  ex- 
panded. The  Xeranthemum  is  also 
easily  grown  ;  it  flowers  abundantly  in 
colors  of  purple,  blue  and  white,  grow- 
ing hardly  a  foot  in  height.  Just  above 
that  white  Helichrysum,  and  a  little 
to  the  left,  will  be  seen  that  old-time 
friend,  the  Globe  Amaranth.  It  is 
best  to  sow  the  seed  of  this  in  a  pot 
in  the  house,  or  in  a  hot  bed,  as  it 
does  not  germinate  freely  in  the  open 
ground.  They  are  pure  white,  flesh- 
colored  and  purplish-crimson.  These 
should  be  gathered  in  the  autumn  after 
the  flowers  are  fully  developed.  Just 
above  this  are  the  yellow  and  purple 
Statice,  which,  though  not  everlastings, . 
are  easily  dried,  and  retain  their  color 
when  in  that  condition.  At  the  top  of 
the  bouquet  are  the  white  and  rose— 


26 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTIOULTtJBlST. 


colored  Bhodanthe,  with  their  lovely 
bell-shaped  flowers.     It  is  necessary  to 
cut  these  before  they  are  fully  open,  so 
that  they  may  not   lose  their  pretty 
bell-like  form.     Sow  the  seed  of  these 
also  in  a  hot  bed,  if  you  have  one ;  if 
not,  in  a  pot  or  box.     Next  to  these  is 
Helipterum  Sanfordi,  a  gem  of  beauty, 
with    rich,    yellow,    star-like   flowers, 
'.which  will  retain  their  beauty  for  many 
years.     It  grows  about  a  foot  high,  is 
i  easily  -cultivated,  and  bears  an  abun- 
dance of  flowers.     The  clusters  should 
be  cut  just  as  the  flower-buds  are  open- 
ing, tied  in  bunches,  and  hung  in  the 
shade;  the  flowers  will  expand  while 
drying  and  retain  their  bright  color. 
Those  little  flowers  at  the  right,  which 
look   so  like  little  button  daisies,  are 
grown   extensively   in   France,   where 
they  are  dyed  all  colors,  or  bleached 
white,  and  shipped  all  over  the  world. 
At  the  left  hand,  near  the  base,:  is  a 
spray  of  the  Hartford  Fern  (Lygodium 
Palmatum),  a  most  elegant  plant,  the 
leaves  of  which  will  retain  their  form 
and  color  for  years,  if  kept  from  the 
dust.  Intermingled  with  these  are  those 
beautiful  grasses,  at  the  left  the  little 
Briza  Minor,  above  it  the  Brizoeform 
Biomus,  at  the  top  the  Nebulous  Agros- 
tis,  and  near  the  bottom,  on  the  right, 
the  well-known   quaking  grass,  Briza 
Maxima.     Just  below  the  yellow  He- 
lipterum  is  that  airy,  graceful,  little 
Gypsophila,  and  below  it  a  frond  of  the 
native  Holly  Fern. 

Thus  have  we  endeavoured  to  sejb 
V  forth  the  various  flowers  and  plants  of 
^  which  this  pretty  bouquet  is  formed, 
..that  our  friends  may  know  how  to  make 


preparation  in  time  and  lay  in  a  sup- 
ply for  another  season.    Then  when  the 
winter  winds  are  howling  and  the  gar- 
den is  bleak  and  bare,  you  can  bring 
forth  your  store  of  everlastings,  grasses 
and  ferns,  and  with  a  few  evergreen 
sprays,  deck  your  Christmas  tables  in 
spite   of  Jack    Frost.     To   dry   these 
nicely,  the  flowers   should  be  tied  in 
small  bunches  by  the  stems,  and  hung 
up  with  the  heads  down  in  the  shade 
until  dry,  when  they  can  be  carefully 
stowed  away  in  a  drawer,  or  on  the 
shelves  of  a  dark  closet,  until  wanted. 
There  is  another  grass  that  deserves 
to  be  men  tioned  here,  which  the  writer 
has  found  most  useful,  and  most  beau- 
tiful too,  for  winter  decoration.     It  is 
the  striped  Eulalia,  which  seems  to  be 
perfectly  hardy,   and    whose    graceful 
plumes,  so  like  the  Prince  of  Wales 
feather,  lend  such  a  charm  to  any  at- 
tempt  at  winter  decoration.     It  is  a 
perennial,  whose  leaves,  striped  with 
white  and  bending  in  graceful  curves, 
give  so  much  beauty  to  the  garden  in 
summer,  and  its  autumn  plumes  to  the 
house  in  winter. 


REPORT  ON  FRUITS, 

The  Grimes  Golden  Apples,  also  the 
Pomme  Grise,  have  done  very  well 
with  me.  The  Flemish  Beauty  Pear 
has  done  very  well  also.  The  Clapp's 
Favorite  appears  healthy,  grows  well, 
and  blooms  profusely,  but  has  produced 
no  fruit.  Glass'  Plum  has  done  well, 
but  I  am,  I  fear,  going  to  lose  it  with 
black-knot.  Salem  Grape  did  very 
well,  but  the  Eumelan  does  not  stand 
the  winter's  frosts. 

B.    GOWANLOCK. 
Maple  Hifl,  /*».  2,  1882. 


THE   OANADIA.N   HORTICULTURIST. 


27 


A  FEW  HINTS  ON  GRAPE  GROWING. 

•  ( Concluded  from  page  10. ) 


The  Green  Grape  Vine  Sphinx  also 
feeds  on  the  leaves  of  the  grape  vine, 
as  likewise  does  the  beautiful  Wood 
Nymph,  shewn   in  Figure  No.  8,  and 


Figure  No.  8. 
"The  BEAU<tiF0L  Wood  Nymph.     (JExidryas  grata). 

though  they  have  not  as  yet  become 
very  numerous,  should  be  treated  as 
possible  enemies. 

The  Thrips,  shewn  in  Figure  No.  9, 
often  becomes  so  numerous   as  to  de- 


Figure  No.  9. 
The  Thrips.    (Tettigonia  vitis). 
Pere  shewn  highly  magnified,  the  lines  at  the  left  in 
dicating  the  natural  size,  in  the  one  with  the  wings 
extended,  in  the  other  at  rest. 

Btroy  the  leaves  of  the  vine  by  preying 
upon  their  under-surface.  This  is  par- 
ticularly the  case  if  too  much  wood  is 
left  on  the  vine  when  pruning,  causing 
the  foliage  to  become  very  dense  and 
matted.  This  insect  is  more  injurious 
to  those  vines  whose  leaves  are  thin 
and  smooth,  than  to  those  whose  leaves 
are  thick  and  woolly.  It  is  a  very 
troublesome  insect  when  it  becomes 
abundant,  and  is  not  easily  destroyed  ; 
but,  fortunately,  it  does  not  follow  that 
because  they  are  abundant  in  one  sea- 


son, they  will  appear  in  like  numbers 
the  next. 

WHERE  GRAPES  CAN  BE  SUCCESS- 
FULLY GROWN. 

In  Europe  it  is  thought  that  the 
lowest  summer  temperature  in  which 
the  vine  succeeds  is  65  degrees  Fahren- 
heit ;  that  is,  the  mean  temperature  for 
the  four  months  of  June,  July,  August 
and  September,  must  be  equal  to  65 
degrees.  Whether  our  native  grapes 
are  bound  to  the  same  limits  of  tem- 
perature, I  cannot  say  ;  but  we  know 
that  quite  a  number  of  varieties  will 
grow  and  ripen  their  truit  at  Ottawa, 
and  at  Peterboro',  and  Barrie.  Hence 
it  may  be  inferred  that  in  any  part  of 
Canada  not  colder  during  the  summer 
than  those  places  just  named,  those 
sorts  which  ripen  as  early  as  the  Dela- 
ware may  be  planted  with  every  ex- 
pectation of  enjoying  ripe  fruit. 

The  Champion,  Creveling,  Eumelan, 
Merrimack,  Moore's  Early,  Worden, 
Brighton,  Massasoit,  Martha  and  Lady, 
have  been  found  to  ripen  as  early,  antl 
some  of  them  ewlier  than  the  Delaware, 
and  hence  may  be  expected  to  ripen  their 
fruit  wherever  the  Delaware  will  ripen. 

Along  the  shores  of  Lake  Huron 
and  the  Georgian  Bay,  the  climate  is  so 
far  modified  by  those  large  bodies  of 
water,  that  many  varieties  rij)ening 
later  than  the  Delaware  succeed  per- 
fectly. There  is  a  belt  of  land  lying 
adjacent  to  those  waters,  the  width  of 
which  has  probably  not  yet  been  fully 
ascertained,  where  not  only  the  varieties 
above  mentioned  will  ripen,  but  also 
the  Concord,  and  even  tlie  lona  and 
Isabella.  At  a  certain  distance  from 
the  water,  the  climate  becomes  less  fa- 
vorable, though  the  latitude  is  lower, 
and  it  will  be  found  necessary  to  plant 
only  those  that  ripen  as  early  as  the 


28 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


Delaware.  But  the  most  favored  lo- 
calities for  grape-growing  are  to  be 
found  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake 
Ontario  and  the  northern  shore  of  Lake 
Erie  to  and  up  the  Detroit  Eiver,  and 
on  some  of  the  islands  lying  in  Lake 
Erie.  There  the  ameliorating  influence 
of  the  water  is  felt ;  spring  frosts  do  not 
occur  so  late  as  at  places  farther  in  the 
interior,  nor  do  the  autumn  frosts  show 
themselves  as  early.  The  melting  ice 
of  the  upper  lakes  continually  flowing 
through  Lake  Erie,  keeps  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  water  at  a  foot  below  the 
surface  at  about  forty  degrees  of  Fahren- 
heit during  the  month  of  May,  so  that 
the  atmosphere  is  cooler  than  it  is  in 
the  interior,  and  the  buds  do  not  burst 
as  early  as  they  do  farther  inland.  By 
the  latter  part  of  July  the  temperature 
of  the  water  rises  to  that  of  the  atmo- 
sphere, in  August  the  water  b(icomes 
warmer  than  the  air,  in  September  the 
water  is  three  degrees  warmer,  and  in 
October  six  degrees  warmer  than  the 
surrounding  air.  But  the  water  is 
continually  giving  out  its  heat  into  the 
atmosphere,  thereby,  keeping  it  at  a 
higher  temperature  near  the  Lake  than 
it  is  in  the  interior,  and  so  preventing 
early  autumn  frosts.  Elevation  also 
has  its  influence  \ipon  the  temperature. 
There  is  a  line  of  altitude  where  the 
autumn  frosts  do  not  fall  as  early  by 
many  days — and  sometimes  weeks — as 
in  the  valley  below.  Many  a  farmer 
living  in  a  rolling  section  of  country, 
has  noticed  that  Indian  corn  on  the 
flats  and  in  the  bottoms  has  been  se- 
verely injured  by  frost  when  that  on 
rising  ground  and  hill-sides  has  entirely 
escaped.  This  is  owing  to  the  fact  that 
cold  air  is  heavier  than  warm  ;  it  rolls 
down  into  the  valleys  and  bottoms, 
while  the  warm  air  ascends  the  hill- 
sides and  slopes.  It  is  in  such  favored 
portions  of  the  country  that  numerous 
varieties  of  grapes  can  be  grown  ;  there 
they  not  only  ripen,  as  it  is  usually 


understood,  but  there  they  can  be  al- 
lowed to  hang  upon  the  vine,  and  de- 
velope  all  their  saccharine  properties, 
becoming  much  sweeter  than  the  same 
variety  becomes  when  the  season  is  of 
shorter  duration.  And  fortunately  this 
embraces  a  large  portion  of  Western 
Ontario,  all  that  part  lying  between 
the  two  Lakes  —Erie  and  Ontario — 
and  that  portion  lying  between  a  line 
running  through  Hamilton,  London, 
Chatham  and  Sarnia,  southward  to. 
Lake  Erie. 

There  is  another  influence  to  be  con- 
sidered, and  one  which  has  a  natural 
effect  upon  the  growing  of  grapes  in  the 
highest  degree  of  perfection,  and  indeed 
of  all  other  fruits.  I  refer  to  the  quan- 
tity of  summer  rain.  It  is  true  the 
amount  of  rain-fall  in  each  year  cannot 
be  depended  upon  with  the  same  cer- 
tainty as  the  annual  return  of  heat,  yet 
in  a  series  of  years  the  average  rain 
through  the  summer  can  be  determined 
with  considerable  accuracy.  The  region 
of  these  great  lakes,  from  the  Thousand 
Islands  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the 
western  extremity  of  Lake  Superior, 
is  favored  with  a  smaller  rain-fall  than 
other  parts  of  the  country.  Taking 
this  entire  region  together,  the  average 
summer  rain-fall  is  about  ten  inches  of 
rain. 

Within  this  belt  or  zone,  where  the 
average  summer  rain  does  not  exceed 
ten  inches,  the  cultivation  of  the  vino 
has  been  attended  with  the  greatest  suc- 
cess ;  and  wa  confidently  predict  that 
with  favoring  soil  and  exposure  the 
choicest  vines  will  be  grown  within  this 
same  area.  Surely  the  land-owner  who 
is  so  fortunate  as  to  be  located  within 
these  favoring  limits  need  not  delay  to 
plant  his  vines.  With  the  same  care 
and  attention  that  commands  success  in 
any  undertaking,  he  may  be  reasonably 
certain  of  reaping  a  rich  return  for  all 
his  labor  and  enterprise.  Within  this 
favorod  region,  the  vine  itself  is  more 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


29 


vigorous  and  healthy,  and  the  fruit  of 
superior  quality;  and  the  days  will 
come  when  the  grapes  of  this  part  of 
Ontario  will  be  in  as  great  repute  as 
the  apples  and  pears  are  now.  And 
these  are  growing  in  estimation  every 
year,  for  experience  is  teaching  the 
world  that  the  apples  of  this  region  will 
keep  better,  bear  transpoi-tation  better, 
and  are  of  better  flavor  than  those  of 
any  other  part  of  America.  A  bearing 
apple  orchard  of  five  acres  now  yields  a 
better  return  than  all  the  rest  of  a 
hundred  acre  farm  ;  and  with  the  in- 
creasing supply  comes  a  yet  larger 
demand.  So  will  it  be  with  the  vine- 
yards and  their  fruits.  Grapes  in  France 
cfommand  to-day  a  higher  price  than 
they  do  in  Canada.  And  when  the 
vineyards  of  this  region  shall  have  be- 
come perfected,  the  excellence  of  tlie 
grapes  and  wines  understood,  and  the 
production  sufficiently  considerable  to 
command  attention,  the  prices  received 
will  be  in  correspondence  with  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  products.  There  need 
be  no  fear  that  fruit  raising  in  Ontario 
will  ever,  or  can  ever,  be  over-done. 
There  is  a  bushel  of  strawberries  raised 
now  for  every  quart  that  was  grown 
ten  or  twelve  years  ago,  and  the  price 
of  a  quart  of  strawberries  is  certainly 
not  any  less  now  than  it  was  then. 
There  are  probably  a  hundred  barrels 
of  apples  sent  to  market  now  for  every 
barrel  sold  twenty  years  ago ;  yet  the 
price  has  not  diminislied,  but  of  the 
two  has  increased  with  the  increased 
production.  How  many  bu.shels  of 
tomatoes  were  raised  and  sold  a  few 
years  ago,  and  what  was  the  price  paid 
then  'I  If  the  lamj)  of  experience  sheds 
any  light  upon  the  path  of  the  fruit 
grower,  that  light  reveals  a  consump- 
tion and  demand  more  than  keeping 
pace  witli  tli«'  pirluction, 

CULTURE  IN  GARDENS. 

There  are  some  inconveniences  attend- 
ing the  cultivation  of  the  grape  in  town 


and  village  gardens,  owing  to  the  gi-eat 
amount  of  shade  from  adjacent  build- 
ings, and  the  want  of  free  circulation  of 
air.  But  these  are  in  a  great  degree 
counterbalanced  by  the  increased  pro- 
tection and  heat  from  reflection,  so  that 
the  fruit  usually  ripens  earlier  than  in 
the  open  vineyard. 

It  is  a  very  common  mistake  to  plant 
the  vine  directly  against  the  bottom  of 
a  wall  or  high  fence,  and  to  train  it 
close  to  the  wall.  The  proper  method 
is  to  plant  two  or  three  feet  from  the 
wall,  and  "train  the  vine  rip  at  that  dis- 
tance from  it,  thus  giving  space  for  the 
circulation  of  air  between  the  vine  and 
the  wall  or  fence.  The  training  and 
pruning  should  be  conducted  with  refer- 
ence to  giving  as  much  air  and  light  as 
can  be  done.  The  wood  should  be  vv'ell 
thinned  out  in  spring,  and  the  foliage 
exposed  as  fully  as  possible  to  tlie  sun, 
while  the  fruit  is  kept  wholly  in  the 
shade. 

MANURING  THE  VINE. 

Manures  should  be  supplied  with 
care,  avoiding  the  use  of  coarse  and 
unfermented  materials,  which  usually 
tend  to  produce  a  rank  growth  of  wood, 
and  give  a  watery  character  to  the  fruit. 
Old  and  thoroughly-rotted  barn -yard 
manure,  ashes,  ground  bones,  and  a 
little  salt,  may  be  used  as  required. 
The  practice  of  drenching  the  vines 
with  soap-suds  is  very  often  injurious, 
always  injurious  unless  the  soil  be  very 
porous  or  otherwise  most  thoroughly 
drained.  Those  grapes  which  are  forced 
into  an  unnatural  size  by  excessive 
manuring  and  drenching  are  often  \imv 
showy  and  pleasing  to  the  eye,  but  very 
watery  and  flavorless  to  the  palate. 

GATHERING  AND  PUTTING  UP  FOR 
MARKET. 

It  is  surprising  that  there  should  be 
60  much  carelessness  manifested  in  the 
simple  matter  of  getting  fruit  to  mar- 
ket after  it  has  been  grown  and  ri]>f'no<I. 
There  is  no  part  of  the  busines-     1  it 


^0 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


needs  to  be  attended  to  with  more  care 
and  nicety  than  the  condition  in  which 
the  frnit  reaches  the  consumer,  and  no 
part  of  the  business  yields  as  great  a 
return  as  the  attention  bestowed  upon 
this  apparently  little  matter.  Were 
our  farmers  to  assort  their  apples  into 
first  and  second  quality,  putting  up  as 
first  quality  only  those  apples  which 
were  of  full  size  for  the  particular  va- 
riety, and  that  were  free  from  every 
blemish,  and  putting  up  as  second 
quality  those  that  could  be  fairly  classed 
as  such,  rejecting  altogether  or  selling 
for  cider-making  all  else,  they  would 
frequently  receive  more  for  the  first- 
class  apples  alone  than  they  now  obtain 
for  the  entire  crop,  besides  establishing 
a  reputation  for  their  brand  that  would 
enable  them  always  to  command  a  ready 
sale  ;  and  what  is  true  of  apples  is  true 
of  every  description  of  fruit. 

If  grapes  are  torn  roughly  from  the 
vines,  tossed  into  two  bushel  baskets 
and  hurried  in  a  lumber  waggon  to  the 
nearest  market,  no  wonder  that  the 
bruize^d,  dripping  beiries  are  passed  by, 
and  if  sold  at  last,  sold  for  almost  no- 
thing. Were  the  same  grapos  brought 
to  market  in  a  clean  and  attractive  con- 
dition, they  would  sell  without  trouble 
at  the  full  market  price. 

In  order  to  have  the  grapes  reach 
market  in  the  best  possible  condition, 
and  particularly  when  they  must  be 
transported  to  some  considerable  dis- 
tance, they  should  be  gathered  only 
when  they  are  dry,  the  clusters  cut 
carefully  from  the  vine,  and  laid  into 
shallow  baskets  without  handling  more 
than  is  absolutely  necessary,  so  as  to 
preserve  as  much  of  the  bloom  upon 
the  berries  as  possible.  They  should 
not  be  piled  up,  but  kept  spread  out 
thinly,  so  that  the  weight  of  the  fruit 
shall  not  break  the  berries  beneath. 
After  gathering  they  should  be  taken 
to  some  cool,  well-aired  room  for  two 
or  three  days,  and  some  of  the  super- 


fluous moisture  allowed  to  evaporate. 
This  will  toughen  the  skins  no  that 
they  will  not  burst  so  easily  upon  being 
slightly  pressed.  The  clusters  should 
be  lifted  up  carefully  by  the  stem,  and 
all  unripe  or  defective,  bruized  or 
broken  berries  cut  off"  with  sharp- 
pointed  scissors.  They  may  now  be 
laid  into  the  boxes  in  which  they  are 
to  be  transported  to  market.  These 
boxes  should  not  be  large  nor  deep,  but 
shallow,  and  made  to  hold  only  a  few 
pounds.  The  best  boxes  for  this  pur- 
pose are  made  of  a  thin  veneer  of  elm 
or  whitewood  or  bass  wood.  They  are 
made  of  various  forms  and  sizes,  some 
are  round  and  some  are  square.  I 
prefer  the  square  form,  for  the  reason 
that  they  can  be  packed  more  com- 
jiactly  into  a  case,  and  a  given  weight 
of  fruit  will  occupy  less  space.  The 
grapes  should  be  packed  in  these  boxes 
as  compactly  as  possible  without  break- 
ing any  of  the  berries,  and  so  that  when 
the  lid  is  closed  upon  them  they  will 
be  lightly  pressed.  This  will  prevent 
the  fruit  from  shaking  about  in  the 
boxes.  Cases  should  be  made  so  thnt 
these  boxes  when  filled  will  fit  snugly 
into  them,  and  made  as  light  as  is  com- 
patible with  the  needel  strength,  and 
of  a  size  that  a  man  can  handle  one  of 
them  without  effort  when  filled  with 
the  boxes  of  fruit.  When  tliese  cases 
are  filled  and  closed,  there  should  be  no 
space  for  the  boxes  of  fruit  to  rattle 
about,  but  each  box  should  be  held 
firmly  in  its  place.  In  this  condition 
the  grapes  can  be  sent  to  any  market 
within  ieach  of  rail  or  water  communi- 
cation, and  will  arrive  in  good  condition 
and  sell  for  the  best  price. 

It  is  usual  in  filling  these  boxes  to 
fasten  the  top  on  the  box  and  o])en  the 
bottom,  and  then  pack  the  finest-looking 
and  most  showy  clusters  first,  using 
smaller  clusters  if  need  be  in  filling  up, 
but  not  putting  in  any  berries  of  in- 
ferior quality.     When  the  box  is  full 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


31 


the  bottom  is  fastened  securely,  and 
when  tlie  dealer  opens  the  box  to  ex- 
hibit the  fViiit  to  his  customers  it  pre- 
sents a  fine,  attractive  appearance. 

When  these  boxes  are  properly  made 
they  are  very  light,  and  ai-e  sold  by 
weight  witli  the  fruit.  In  this  way  the 
purchaser  has  a  convenient  package  in 
which  to  carry  home  his  fruit,  and  when 
properly  regulated  will  have  paid  the 
cost  of  the  box.  Frequently  these 
boxes  will  be  found  convenient,  and  to 
secui-e  the  sale  of  the  fruit  at  a  better 
price,  even  when  it  is  not  necessary  to 
transport  them  by  railway,  and  the 
grower  carries  them  in  his  own  wagon 
to  the  nearest  market. 

It  makes  considerable  difference  to 
the  grower  whether  he  gets  four  or  six 
cents  i>er  pound  for  his  grapes.  Up  to 
the  day  of  gathering  the  fruit  he  will 
have  expended  a  given  sum  upon  his 
vineyard,  and  now  if  he  harvests  and 
markets  his  crop  in  such  a  way  that  it 
sells  for  only  four  cents  per  pound,  when 
he  might  have  got  six  cents,  he  is  a  great 
loser.  If  he  have  an  acre  of  grapes, 
yielding  him  say  only  three  tons,  or  six 
thousand  pounds,  the  difference  between 
four  and  six  cents  per  pound  is  one 
hundred  and  twenty  dollars,  which  will 
pay  for  considerable  extra  labor,  a 
gi-eat  deal  more  than  the  cost  of  the 
difference  between  careful  and  slovenly 
harvesting. 

PROFITS  OF  GRAPE  CULTURE. 

The  question  is  often  asked  by  those 
who  are  thinking  of  planting  for  market, 
will  it  pay  ]  To  this  inquiry  it  may  be 
truthfully  replied  that  the  raising  of 
fruit  for  market  is  like  every  other 
business,  the  question  of  profit  depends 
mainly  upon  the  energy,  attention  and 
skill  of  the  grower.  An  acre  of  gi-ape 
vines  in  full  bearing  will  yield  five  tons 
of  grapes,  or  ten  thousand  ])ounds,  If, 
then,  the  grower  realizes  only  four  cents 


per  pound,  he  will  have  received  four 
hundred  dollars  from  his  acre.  But  if 
a  judicious  selection  of  varieties  is  made, 
so  that  there  shall  be  a  continual  supply 
of  fruit  from  the  time  that  the  earliest 
ri[)ens  to  the  end  of  the  season,  the  price 
will  be  more  likely  to  avei-age  at  least 
six  cents  per  pound,  in  which  case  the 
acre's  crop  will  be  six  hundred  dollars. 
A  grower  near  Hamilton,  who  takes 
good  care  of  his  vines,  realizes  ten  cents 
per  pound  for  his  entire  crop.  And 
why  may  not  you  1 

CHOICE  OF  VARIETIES. 

The  following  list  embraces  most  of 
the  varieties  now  in  cultivation  which 
can  be  successfully  grown  in  any  part 
of  Ontario.  I  frankly  state  my  own 
opinion  of  their  qualities,  in  the  hope 
that  my  experience  and  observation 
may  be  of  service  to  those  who  desire 
to  plant : 

Adirondac. — Ripens  early,  usually 
a  few  days  before  the  Hartford  Prolific. 
In  size  of  bunch  and  berry,  it  much 
resembles  the  Isabella.  The  color  is 
black.  The  flesh  is  soft  and  breaking, 
sweet  and  agreeable  flavor,  bearing  more 
resemblance  to  a  Black  Hamburg  than 
any  other  hardy  grape  that  I  have  yet 
seen.  And  yet  such  is  its  lack  of  vigor 
and  endurance,  that  I  cannot  advise 
any  one  to  plant  it  who  is  not  willing 
to  give  it  great  care  and  attention. 

Agawam. — Also  known  as  Rogers* 
Number  15.  The  best  flavored  of  all 
his  red  varieties,  bunches  variable  in 
size,  berries  large,  dark  red,  tender  and 
juicy,  with  a  pleasant,  somewhat  musky 
flavor.  Ripe  a  little  after  the  Concord. 
In  unfavomble  seasons  the  vine  is  apt 
to  mildew,  otherwise  it  is  hardy,  vigor- 
ous and  productive. 

Allkn's  Hybrid. — This  grape  is  one 
of  the  best  in  quality,  but  the  vine  is 
not  hardy,  and  very  subject  to  mil- 
dew. 


32 


THE   CANADIAN    IIORTICULTURTST. 


Alvey. — The  berry  is  quite  small, 
the  vine  only  moderately  productive, 
and  the  variety  not  desirable, 

Anna. — I  only  name  this  variety  for 
the  purpose  of  cautioning  Canadians 
from  purchasing  it ;  for  it  is  vi^orthless 
in  our  latitude. 

Blood's  Black. — This  is  wholly  un- 
worthy of  cultivation,  and  he  who  pur- 
chases it  wastes  his  money. 

Barry.— Rogers'  Number  43.  An 
excellent  black  grape,  large,  sweet,  and 
nearly  free  from  pulp.  Bipe  at  the 
same  time  as  the  Concord.  Vine 
hardy,  vigorous  and  productive. 

Brighton.  —  A  valuable  variety  ; 
hardy,  vigorous,  ripens  its  wood  early, 
very  productive,  berries  large,  dark 
crimson  when  fully  ripe,  sweet,  aroma- 
tic. Bipe  as  early  as  the  Delaware. 
Worthy  of  a  place  in  every  garden. 

Catawba. — Will  not  ripen  thoroughly 
in  most  of  Canada,  requiring  a  longer 
season  than  we  possess.  He  who  plants 
largely  of  this  sort  here  will  surely 
regret  having  done  so,  unless  he  plant 
on  the  Islands  of  Lake  Erie. 

Champion. — A  very  vigorous,  ex- 
ceedingly hardy  and  productive  grape, 
capable  of  enduring  great  severity  of 
climate,  and  succeeding  everywhere.  It 
is  a  })ioneer  variety  for  the  coldest  parts 
of  the  country,  ripening  early,  and 
yielding  fruit  under  most  adverse  cir- 
cumstances. It  has  been  very  profitable 
on  account  of  its  earliness  and  gr.eat 
productiveness  ;  yet  it  is  not  of  fine 
quality,  and  will  eventually  give  way 
to  better  grapes  ripening  as  early.  The 
berries  are  large,  black  and  attractive, 
borne  in  medium-sized  clusters.  If  you 
have  not  been  able  to  grow  grapes  in 
your  locality,  this  will  surely  succeed 
and  ripen  a  fine  crop  of  fruit. 

Clinton. — This  variety  is  planted 
chiefly  for  wine.  The  bunches  and 
berries   are   small ;    when   thoroughly 


ripe  a  very  pleasant,  refreshing  grape. 
The  fruit  can  be  easily  kept  in  any  cool 
place  free  from  frost,  and  improves  in 
flavor.  The  vine  is  perfectly  hardy 
and  very  productive. 

Concord. — A  most  profitable  market 
grape;  large  bunch  and  berry,  black, 
covered  with  a  beautiful  bloom.  In 
Missouri  and  Southern  Ohio,  it  is 
planted  extensively  for  wine.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  hardy  and  most  pi-o- 
lific  soi-ts  we  have,  giving  a  generous 
return  of  fruit  to  the  cultivator.  It  has 
been  largely  planted  for  market,  and, 
notwithstanding  that  the  price  rules 
low,  such  is  the  yield  and  certainty  of 
crop  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  profitable. 

Creveling. — An  early  ripening  va- 
riety of  excellent  quality  ;  bunch  and 
berrry  about  the  size  of  the  Isabella. 
The  berries  frequently  set  very  poorly, 
making  the  bunches  straggling.  Were 
it  not  for  this  defect  it  would  be  highly 
valued  for  its  fine  flavor  and  early 
ripening. 

Cuyahoga. — Ripens  too  late  to  be 
valuable. 

Delaware. — I  do  not  hesitate  to  say 
that  this  is  one  of  the  best  hardy  grapes 
that  I  have  yet  fruited.  It  is  hardy — 
very  hardy — enduring  our  winters  well. 
It  is  very  productive.  The  flavor  is 
sweet,  delicious,  refreshing  The  vine, 
when  once  established,  is  thrifty,  making 
a  growth  nearly  equal  to  the  Clinton.  It 
will  bear  higher  cultivation  than  most 
other  sorts,  and  well  repays  the  generous 
treatment.  Yet  I  have  seen  it  in  a  sod, 
wholly  neglected,  bearing  an  immense 
crop  of  beautiful  fruit.  Some  complain 
that  it  does  not  succeed  with  them  ; 
but  the  fault  is  probably  in  the  treat- 
ment or  soil,  not  in  the  variety.  This 
grape,  while  excellent  for  the  table,  is 
equally  valuable  for  wine,  and  is  largely 
planted  for  that  i)urpose. 

Diana. — This  variety  will  yield  the 
most  satisfactory  results  in  a  very  dry, 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


warm  and  rather  poor  soil.  In  a  rich 
soil  it  runs  to  wood,  and  in  a  damp  or 
cold  soil  will  not  ripen  its  fruit.  It 
ripens  very  late.  When  ripe,  the  fruit 
is  very  sweet,  and  has  a  flavor  peculiar 
to  itself;  and  when  wine  is  made  ex- 
clusively from  the  juice  of  this  grape, 
the  peculiar  Diana  flavor  is  distinctly 
perceptible  in  the  wine. 

Duchess. — The  quality  of  this  grape 
is  excellent,  but  as  it  ripens  a  little 
after  the  Concord,  it  will  not  be  suit- 
able for  the  colder  parts  of  Ontario. 
Besides  this,  the  vine  seems  to  be  easily 
affected  by  adverse  influences  and  lack- 
ing in  constitutional  vigor.  However, 
it  is  a  new  sort,  not  yet  thoroughly 
tested,  and  time  will  be  needed  fully  to 
ascertain  its  value  for  us.  It  is  pale 
greenish  yellow  when  ripe. 

Early  Victor. — A  very  hardy, 
healthy  variety,  which  gives  promise  of 
being  very  valuable  for  us,  on  account 
of  its  vigorous  constitution,  great  pro- 
ductiveness and  early  ripening.  The 
bunches  are  above  medium  size,  com- 
pact ;  berries  medium,  round,  black, 
with  a  heavy  blue  bloom ;  juicy,  sweet, 
free  from  foxiness ;  ripe  fully  a  week 
before  the  Hartford  Prolific. 

Early  Dawn. — The  quality  of  this 
grape  is  very  good,  but  I  have  found 
the  vine  very  subject  to  mildew,  and 
lacking  in  vigor  of  constitution.  The 
bunches  and  berries  are  of  medium 
size;  berries  black,  with  a  thick  bloom, 
juicy,  rich,  sweet  and  good  ;  ripe  fully 
a  week  before  the  Hartford  Prolific. 
Were  tire  vine  only  healthy,  and  not 
subject  to  mildew,  it  would  be  a  desir- 
able variety. 

Eldorado. — Thus  far  tliis  \  inc  lias 
been  healthy  and  vigorous.  Tlie  clus- 
ters are  large,  berries  full  mediuTu  size, 
white,  juicy  and  high-flavored,  llipens 
aj3  early  as  the  Hartford  Prolific. 

EuMELAN.- — This  vine  has  not  proved 
to  be  as  desirable  in  our  climate  as  was 


hoped.  It  has  not  seemed  to  possess 
sufficient  hardiness  of  constitution  to 
adapt  itself  to  many  localities,  and  the 
fruit  is  lacking  in  richness  and  flavor. 

Hartford  Prolific — This  was  at 
one  time  the  earliest  grape  we  had.  It 
is  of  poor  quality  at  best,  the  berries 
drop  from  the  bunch  when  ripe,  and, 
although  it  sold  well  on  account  of  its 
earliness,  we  have  now  so  many  that 
ripen  as  early,  and  some  even  earlier, 
that  it  will  soon  be  superseded, 

Herbert.  Rogers'  No.  44. — A 
large  black  berry,  grown  in  large,  long 
bunches  ;  sweet,  rich  and  fine-flavored  ; 
one  of  the  best  in  quality  of  the  Rogers' 
Hybrids.  It  ripens  early,  and  the  vine 
is  hardy  and  productive. 

Highland. — A  new  hybrid  variety 
not  yet  tested  in  our  climate.  Berries 
large,  black,  and  of  fine  quality. 

Israella. — Has  gone  out  of  sight 
since  the  introduction  of  earlier  ripen- 
ing sorts.  It  is  not  a  fruit  of  high 
quality.  Ri})e  just  after  the  Hartford 
Prolific. 

Ion  A. — Did  this  grape  ripen  well  in 
our  climate  it  would  deserve  a  foremost 
position  in  every  garden.  I  esteem  it 
one  of  superior  quality;  juicy,  sweet 
and  high-flavored  ;  but  it  is  too  late 
for  general  cultivation  in  this  Province. 
Only  in  the  warmest  sections  can  it  be 
relied  upon  to  ripen.  The  bunch  is 
large,  long  and  loose ;  berries  red,  me- 
dium size. 

Ives  Seedling. — Not  worth  growing 
in  this  climate.  It  is  used  in  some 
sections  for  wine,  but  the  berries  have 
such  a  hard  pulp  and  foxy  flavor  that 
they  are  not  fit  for  table  use. 

Janesville.  —  Another  variety  of 
poor  quality,  but  which  ripens  early, 
and  enjoys  a  very  robust  constitution. 
The  vine  is  very  hardy,  healthy  and 
productive;  the  berries  black  and 
medium  in  size.  It  can  be  planted 
with  Champion  in  the  colder  sections. 


u 


THP:   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Jefferson. — A  new  variety  raised 
bj  crossing  the  Concord  and  lona. 
Thus  far  it  has  proved  to  be  very 
healthy  and  vigorous,  with  large,  thick 
downy  leaves.  It  is  a  large,  handsome 
and  showy  fruit,  light  red,  covered  with 
a  thin  lilac  bloom,  juicy,  sweet  and 
rich,  with  a  sprightly  aromatic  flavor; 
much  resembling  the  lona.  and  the 
nearest  approach  to  its  delightful  flavor 
of  any  yet  introduced.  It  ripens  with 
the  Concord,  and  should  be  tried  by 
every  one  who  finds  the  Concord  to 
ripen.  It  promises  to  be  a  most  valu- 
able market  sort  on  account  of  its 
showy  appearance,  superb  flavor,  and 
maintaining  its  sprightliness  for  a  long 
time  after  being  gathered.     {<See  Cut. ) 

Lady. — The  earliest  ripening  white 
grape.  The  bunches  are  only  of  me- 
dium size,  berries  about  as  large  as 
the  Concord,  of  a  light  greenish-yellow 
when  ripe,  very  sweet  and  pleasant. 
The  vine  is  quite  hardy,  vigorous  and 
healthy.  It  is  well  deserving  of  trial 
in  our  climate. 

Lady  Washington. — Certainly  the 
most  magnificent  looking  hardy  grape 
I  have  yet  seen,  and  as  tine  in  flavor  as 
it  is  beautiful  in  appearance.  The  vine 
appears  to  be  perfectly  healthy,  the 
leaves  are  large,  thick  and  dovvny,  pro- 
mising to  endure  well  the  extreme 
changes  of  our  climate.  The  bunches 
are  very  large,  berries  medium,  ])ale 
yellow,  with  a  delicate  pink  tinge  on 
the  exposed  side;  jucy,  sweet,  slightly 
vinous,  and  fine  quality.  It  ripens  just 
after  the  Concord.  If  this  grape  on 
further  trial  should  succeed  well  in  our 
climate,  it  will  be  a  most  noble  acqui- 
sition, and  a  most  pi"ofitaV)le  market 
sort.  I  trust  everybody  will  give  it  a 
trial  who  lives  where  the  Concord  will 
ripen.     (See  Cut  on  Page  36.) 

LiNDLEY.  Rogers'  Number  9. — A 
strong  growing,  healthy  vine,  and  re- 
markably productive.     Both  bunch  and 


berry  are  of  medium  size;  color  red 
when  ripe;  sweet,  juicy,  and  somewhat 
aromatic.  An  excellent  variety,  ripen- 
ing j  ust  before  the  Concord. 

Martha. — A  very  hardy,  healthy 
and  productive  vine ;  the  bunches  and 
berries  are  about  like  those  of  the  Con- 
cord ;  the  color  is  a  light  greenish  yel- 
low; flavor  sweet,  with  considerable  of 
the  muskiness  of  the  Concord ;  but 
ripening  a  little  earlier. 

Massasoit. — The  earliest  ripening  of 
all  the  Kogers  Hybrids,  and  known  as 
his  Number  3.  The  bunches  and  ber- 
ries are  of  medium  size,  red,  good  fla- 
vor, and  ripe  as  early  as  the  Hartford 
Prolific.  The  vine  is  hardy  and  vigor- 
ous. 

Merrimack.  Rogers'  Number  19. — 
This  also  ripens  earlier  than  the  Con- 
cord, the  fruit  is  black,  large,  rich  and 
sweet,  and  the  vine  is  productive  and 
vigorous.  Very  like  the  Wilder  in 
quality  and  flavor,  and  ripening  about 
the  same  time. 

Moore's  Early. — A  most  valuable 
grape  for  our  climate  on  account  of  the 
early  ripening  of  both  wood  and  fruit. 
It  will  grow  as  far  north  as  any,  and 
ri}»en  its  fruit  perfectly.  It  is  a  black 
grape;  in  bunch  and  berry  about  the 
same  size  as  the  Concord,  and  fully 
equal,  if  not  better,  in  flavor.  It  is 
ripe  some  time  before  the  Hartford 
Prolific;  and  will  doubtless  prove  to 
be  a  most  profitable  very  early  market 
grape.  It  should  find  a  place  in  every 
garden.     (See  Cut  on  Page  37.) 

PocKLiNGTON. — A  very  large,  showy, 
white  grape;  sweet,  rich,  with  tlie 
musky  flavor  of  the  Labursca  fiimily. 
The  vine  is  healthy,  vigorous,  hardy 
and  productive.  It  would  seem  to 
ripen  fully  just  after  the  Concord.  It 
will  doubtless  prove  to  be  a  profitable 
market  grape  on  account  of  its  large 
size  of  bunch  and  berry  and  showy  ap- 
pearance.    (See  Cut  on  Page  38.) 


THE    CANADIAN    HORlICUf/rUKIST. 


35 


JEFFERSON,     i  educed  One-third. 


|!g^\,,^,=^ 


iri 


LADY     WASHINGTON. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


37 


MOORE'S    EARLY. 


THE    POCKLINGTON. 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTtOtJLTURlST* 


40 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


Prentiss. — Another  new  white  grape 
of  excellent  quality,  and  promising  to 
be  valuable  where  the  Concord  will 
succeed.  The  vine  so  far  has  proved 
to  be  hardy  and  very  productive.  The 
bunches  are  of  good  size,  very  compact, 
berries  medium  size,  yellowish-green 
when  ripe,  sweet,  juicy  and  of  pleasant 
flavor.  It  will  bear  transportation  un- 
usually well,  and  keep  in  fine  condition 
for  a  long  time.  It  ripens  about  with 
the  Concord.     {See  Cut  on  Page  39.) 

Rebecca. — A  delicious  little  grape, 
but  very  difficult  of  cultivation,  not 
enduring  well  the  extreme  changes  of 
our  climate.  Only  those  who  are  willing 
to  orive  it  most  careful  cultivation  should 
ever  plant  it  in  this  climate.  It  is  a 
light-green  when  ripe,  sweet  and  ex- 
cellent. 

Salem.  Rogers'  No.  22. — A  very 
popular  grape,  on  account  of  the  large 
size  of  bunch  and  berry,  good  quality 
of  the  fruit,  and  the  healthy,  hardy  and 
vigorous  character  of  the  vine.  It  is 
nearly  a  maroon  color  when  fully  ripe ; 
sweet,  juicy  and  somewhat  aromatic ; 
ripe  a  little  before  the  Concord. 

Senasqua. — A  showy  black  grape  of 
good  quality,  but  ripening  too  late  for 
general  cultivation. 

Yergennes. — A  very  handsome  red 
grape  not  much  earlier  than  the  Con- 
cord, but  ripening  its  wood  very  early, 
and  therefore  likely  to  be  very  hardy. 
The  leaves  are  thick  and  leathery  ;  the 
vine  exceedingly  productive,  vigorous 
and  healthy.  The  fruit  will  keep  a 
long  time,  retaining  its  fresh,  sprightly 
flavor.  It  is  well  worthy  of  a  trial  in 
our  climate. 

Walter. — A  red  grape,  ripening  at 
the  same  time  as  the  Concord,  of  good 
quality,  but  it  has  not  been  planted 
sufficiently  in  Ontario  to  test  its  value 
in  our  climate,  and  it  has  not  gained 
any  great  popularity  elsewhere. 


Wilder.  Rogers'  No.  4. — Probably 
this  variety  is  the  most  popular  of  all 
the  Rogers  Hybrids.  It  has  been  very 
widely  distributed,  and  everywhere  is 
highly  prized.  It  is  large  both  in  bunch 
and  berry;  black,  sweet  and  very 
pleasant  flavor.  It  ripens  a  very  little 
earlier  than  the  Concord,  is  a  better 
grape  and  more  showy.  It  is  now  be- 
ginning to  receive  the  attention  which 
it  deserves  as  a  market  grape,  and  is 
being  extensively  planted  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  vine  is  vigorous,  hardy,  and 
productive. 

WoRDEN. — A  black  grape  resembling 
the  Concord,  but  ripening  some  ten  days 
earlier.  The  bunches  are  large,  com- 
pact and  handsome ;  the  berries  are 
also  large  and  showy.  The  vine  is  ap- 
parently as  healthy,  hardy,  vigorous  and 
productive  as  the  Concord.  In  quality 
it  is  generally  regarded  as  better  than 
the  Concord.  It  is  valuable  on  account 
of  its  earliness  and  hardy  character. 

Instead  of  having  only  two  or  three 
varieties  of  grapes  to  plant,  we  are  now 
becoming  truly  embari-assed  by  the 
number  we  have  from  which  to  make 
our  selection.  Each  year  adds  some 
new  varieties  for  trial,  and  so  the  num- 
ber will  go  on  increasing  from  year  to 
year.  Let  us  hope  that  increasing 
numbers  will  bring  increased  improve- 
ments, until  we  shall  have  at  last  found 
the  grape  that  combines  all  excellences, 
and  satisfies  all  expectations.  Then  may 
grape-growers  bring  forth  the  silver 
trumpet,  proclaim  the  year  of  j  ubilee, 
and,  sitting  beneath  the  perfect  vine, 
enjoy  that  rest  for  which  the  heart  is 
ever  sighing.      

Cumberland  Triumph  (H). — A  very 
fine  berry  in  all  respects  ;  of  very  large 
size,  fine  form,  beautiful  color  and  ex- 
cellent quality,  and  is  gi'owing  into 
general  favor.  At  the  Nurserymen's  Con- 
vention, held  at  Cleveland  in  June  last,, 
it  was  pronounced  by  good  judges  the 
finest  appearing  variety    on   the    table. 

A.  M.  PURDY. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


41 


WINTER  BLOOMING  PLANTS. 

All  the  Geraniums  are  excellent 
window  plants,  but  some  of  them  are 
shy  winter  bloomers,  yet  many  of  them 
are  handsome  enough  in  their  foliage, 
even  if  they  are  destitute  of  flowers. 
The  most  constant  bloomers  of  any  I 
have  grown  are  Jean  Sisley,  a  lai-ge, 
dazzling  scarlet,  with  a  distinct  white 
eye ;  Master  Christine,  a  single  pink, 
and  Loarine,  a  light  scarlet,  but  the 
trusses  are  very  large  and  full.  These 
three  are  almost  constant  bloomers. 
Give  Geraniums  plenty  of  sunshine 
and  fresh  air,  a  moderate  amount  of 
water,  to  which  there  should  be  occa- 
sionally added  some  liquid  manure,  and 
abundant  room  to  grow  in,  and  they 
generally  behave  very  satisfactory. 

A  few  of  the  Fuchsias,  or  Lady's 
Eardrop,  as  they  are  sometimes  called, 
are  good  winter  bloomers.  They  are, 
however,  strong  feeders,  and  will  starve 
to  death  on  a  soil  in  which  a  Geranium 
would  grow  luxuriantly,  and  more 
manure  should  be  used  with  the  soil  in 
which  they  are  potted.  The  following 
varieties  have  bloomed  well  for  me  all 
winter  through  :  Arabella,  tube  and 
sepals  pure  white,  corolla  red ;  Speciosa, 
pale  red  sepals,  corolla  pale  rose;  and 
Lustre,  waxy  white  tube  and  sepals, 
corolla  tinted  crimson  and  orange.  I 
have  never  yet  had  a  double  variety 
that  bloomed  well  in  winter. 

We  have  a  magnificent  class  of  plants 
in  the  Begonia.  I  will  divide  them 
into  two  classes,  namely  :  the  flowering 
and  leaf  varieties.  Although  the  former 
all  have  handsome  foliage,  they  are 
mostly  prized  for  their  beautiful  flowers, 
which  are  produced  in  great  profusion. 
They  do  best  in  a  loose  soil  composed 
mostly  of  leaf  mould  and  sand,  and  re- 
quire a  warm  and  partially  shaded 
situation.  Sandei-sonii  and  Hybrida 
Multiflom  are  tl»e  best  winter  bloomers. 
The  former  bears  scarlet,  and  the  lattei* 
2 


rosy  pink  flowers.  The  leaf  varietieH 
are  only  grown  for  the  beauty  of  the 
foliage,  and  the  most  prominent  is  the 
variety  known  as  Begonia  Rex. 


Begonia   Rkx. 

The  leaves  of  this  grow  very  large. 
I  have  one  plant  of  Kex  and  one  of 
Queen  of  Hanover,  which  have  been 
growing  in  a  log  hanging  basket  for 
over  three  years,  and  some  of  the 
leaves  have  measured  over  14  inches 
across. 

The  largest  leaves  of  some  others  do 
not  measure  more  than  six  inches  in 
diameter,  all  of  which  are  variegated 
and  margined  with  silvery  and  metallic 
colors  of  different  hues.  They  should 
never  be  planted  out  in  our  hot  summer 
sun  as  bedding  plants,  but  for  window 
plants,  or  for  wardian  cases  or  ferneries, 
they  cannot  be  excelled.  Some  think 
that  Begonias  are  hard  to  grow,  but  it 
is  an  erroneous  idea,  as  after  you  once 
understand  their  nature,  their  culture 
is  very  easy,  and  they  all  make  capital 
window  plants. 

The  Calla,  or  Lily  of  the  Nile,  is  a 
fine  house  plant,  and  all  it  requires  is 


an  abundance  of  war'^i  water,  and  plenty 
of  sunshine,  and  if  jiven  the  requii-ed 


42 


THE    CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


rest  in  summer,  will  not  fail  to  pro- 
duce its  large  white  flowers  all  winter 
through. — Primrose,  in  Western  Hor- 
ticulturist. 


HOW  TO  PLANT  TREES. 

BY  N.  R0BRRT80N,  GOVERNMENT  GROUNDS,  OTTAWA. 

A  great  deal  has  been  written  and 
said  about  tree  planting.  Some  advise 
one  way,  some  another.  I  will  give 
you  my  method,  with  which  I  have 
been  very  successful,  and,  as  it  differs 
somewhat  from  the  usual  mode,  may 
be  interesting  to  some  of  your  readers. 
I  go  into  the  woods,  select  a  place 
where  it  is  thick  with  strong,  young, 
healthy,  rapid-growing  trees.  I  com- 
mence by  making  a  trench  across  so  as 
I  will  get  as  many  as  I  want.  I  may 
have  to  destroy  some  untiLI  get  a  right 
start.  I  then  undermine,  taking  out 
the  trees  as  I  advance ;  this  gives  me 
a  chance  not  to  destroy  the  roots.  I 
care  nothing  about  the  top,  because  I 
cut  them  into  what  is  called  poles  ei^ht 
or  ten  feet  long.  Sometimes  I  draw 
them  out  by  hitching  a  team  when  I 
can  get  them  so  far  excavated  that  I 
can  turn  them  down  enough  to  hitch 
above  where  I  intend  to  cut  them  off; 
by  this  method  I  often  get  almost  the 
entire  root.  I  have  three  particular 
points  in  this  :  good  root,  a  stem  with- 
out any  blemish,  and  a  rapid  growing 
tree.  This  is  seldom  to  be  got  where 
most  people  recommend  trees  to  be 
taken  from — isolated  ones  on  the  out- 
side of  the  woods ;  they  are  genemlly 
scraggy  and  stunted,  and  to  get  their 
roots  you  would  have  to  follow  a  long 
way  to  get  at  the  fibres  on  their  points, 
without  which  they  will  have  a  hard 
struggle  to  live.  Another  point  re- 
commended is  to  plant  so  that  the  tree 
will  stand  in  the  direction  it  was  be- 
fore being  moved  ;  that  I  never  think 
about,  but  always  study  to  have  the 
longest   and   most   roots   on   the  side 


where  the  wind  will  be  strongest, 
which  is  generally  the  west,  on  an 
open  exposure. 

For  years  I  was  much  against  this 
system  of  cutting  trees  into  poles,  and 
fought  hard  against  one  of  the  most 
successful  tree  planters  in  Canada  about 
this  pole  business.  I  have  trees  plant- 
ed under  the  system  described  that  have 
many  strong  shoots  six  and  eight  feet 
long — Hard  Maple,  Elm,  &c. — under 
the  most  unfavorable  circumstances. 
In  planting,  be  particular  to  have  the 
hole  into  which  you  plant  much  larger 
than  your  roots  ;  and  be  sure  you  draw 
out  all  your  roots  to  their  length  before 
you  put  on  your  soil;  clean  away  all 
the  black,  leafy  soil  about  them,  for  if 
that  is  left,  and  gets  once  dry,  you  will 
not  easily  wet  it  again.  Break  down 
the  edges  of  your  holes  as  you  progress, 
not  to  leave  them  as  if  they  were  con- 
fined in  a  flower  pot ;  and  when  finish- 
ed, put  around  them  a  good  heavy 
mulch,  I  do  not  care  what  of —  sawdust, 
manure,  or  straw.  This  last  you  can 
keep  by  throwing  a  few  spadefuls  of 
soil  over  ;  let  it  pass  out  over  the  edges 
of  your  holes  at  least  one  foot. 

I  have  no  doubt  that  the  best  time 
to  plant  is  the  fall,  as,  if  left  till 
spring,  the  trees  are  too  far  ad- 
vanced before  the  frost  is  out  of  the 
ground  ;  and  by  fall  planting  the  soil 
gets  settled  about  the  roots,  and  they 
go  on  with  the  season. 

Trees  cut  like  poles  have  another 
great  advantage.  For  the  first  season 
they  require  no  stakes  to  guard  against 
the  wind  shaking  them,  which  is  a  ne- 
cessity with  a  top  ;  for  depend  upon  it, 
if  your  tree  is  allowed  to  sway  with 
the  wind,  your  roots  will  take  very  lit- 
tle hold  that  season,  and  may  die,  often 
the  second  year,  from  this  very  cause. 

All  who  try  this  system  will  find  out 
that  they  will  get  a  much  prettier 
headed    tree,  and  much  sooner   see  a 


THE   CANADIAK    HORTICULTURIST. 


43 


ti-ee  of  beauty  than  by  any  other,  as, 
when  your  roots  have  plenty  of  fibrous 
roots,  and  are  in  vigorous  liealth,  three 
years  will  give  you  nice  trees. 


THE    CUTHBERT    RASPBERRY  — ITS 
MERITS  AND  DEMERITS. 

BY  T.  C.   ROBINSON,  OWEN  SOUND. 

No  fruit  seems  to  have  been  so  well 
received,  and  so  nearly  to  have  mono- 
^polized  the  attention  given  by  fruit 
growers  to  its  class  of  late  years,  as  the 
Cuthbert  with  our  American  neigh- 
bora  ;  and  now  that  it  is  putting  in  an . 
appearance  on  this  side  of  the  line,  a 
few  words  of  critical  description  may 
be  in  order. 

It  is  not  a  fruit  of  unqualified  ex> 
cellence  any  more  than  any  of  our 
choicest  apples  or  plums  or  pears, 
though  the  almost  unqualified  praise 
it  has  met  with  would  perhaps  lead  us 
to  think  so.  The  truth  is,  we  needed 
a  good  raspberry  that  would  grow  any- 
where, and  both  eat  and  sell  well, 
more  than  any  other  kind  of  fruit  ex- 
cept perhaps  the  gooseberry,  that  so 
many  points  of  excellence  combined  in 
this  raspberry  fully  account  for  its 
popularity  without  assuming  for  it  per- 
fection, as  many  seem  inclined.  We 
have  had,  it  is  true,  raspberries  of  fine 
size  and  delicious  flavor,  like  Clarke 
and  Kne vet's  Giant,  but  to  a  lack  of 
hardiness  has  been  joined  a  softness 
which  unfitted  them:  for  market  uses. 
The  grand  old  Franconia,  so  good  for 
both  market  and  home  use,  would  not 
grow  large  enough  to  bear  a  paying 
crop  on  light  soils,  -and  would  grow  so 
large  and  soft  on  heavy  soils  as  to  win- 
ter-kill in  most  parts  of  the  country. 
Philadelphia,  the  acme  of  productive- 
ness, and  sufliciently  hardy,  was  too 
soft  and  dark-colored  and  poor-flavored  j 
to  stand  the  test ;  and  so  on  down  the  I 
list,  pausing  at  that  model  of  raspberry  j 
hardine.S8,    the    Turner,    to  note-  that  ' 


its  sweetness,  hardiness  and  vigorous 
growth,  and  adaptability  to  light  soils, 
do  not  quite  make  up  for  a  slight  lack 
of  firmness,  size,  and  uniformity  of 
ripening,  necessary  to  a  first-class  mar- 
ket variety,  while  its  earliness  leaves  a 
great  want  still  for  a  good  late  variety. 
Just  here  the  Cuthbert  steps  in,  and 
hence  its  welcome.  Its  size  is  all  that 
can  reasonably  be  asked — not  mon 
strous,  you  know,  as  some  representa- 
tions make  it  appear,  unless  extra  cul- 
tivation is  given,  when  it  no  doubt  can- 
be  grown  over  an  inch  in  longest  diam  - 
eter ;  but  with  fair  market  culture,  it 
will  run  I  to  I  of  an  inch  by  the  quart. 
In  shape  it  is  much  longer  than  the 
raspberries  we  have  been  used  to — a 
cone,  more  pointedly  conical  than  even 
Turner,  which  is  quite  long  for  a  I'asp- 
berry.  It  seems  about  as  firm  as  Fran- 
conia, that  is,  as  firm  as  a  market  rasp- 
berry needs  to  be ;  and  its  color  is  rich 
enough  and  bright  enough,  as  grown 
with  me,  to  satisfy  the  most  exacting. 
How  it  will  grow  on  poor,  light  land  I 
cannot  say,  as  I  only  have  it  on  good 
land,  or  on  poor,  light  land,  so  close  to 
a  richer,  heavier  strip  that  the  roots 
have  made  themselves  at  home  in  the 
good  soil  on  one  side  of  the  plant ;  and 
right  here  let  me  say  that  this  question 
of  its  behavior  on  poor  soils  is  one  to 
which  I  do  not  propose  to  extend  my 
experience.  I  have  had  enough  of 
fruit  growing  on  land  not  fit  to  grow 
even  white  beans,  and  think  too  highly 
of  the  Cuthbert  to  subject  it  to  such  a 
test.  I  have  Franconias  of  three  yeai-s' 
growth  on  such  land  that  after  the  dis- 
couragement of  last  June's  frost  (clip 
ping  foliage,  not  blossoms),  refused  in 
such  a  dry  season  to  give  one  c^uart  to 
every  twenty  or  thirty  plants,  even 
with  the  stimulus  of  a  good  mulch  of 
manure.  No  doubt  n\any  fruit  growei-n 
have  just  such  land,  and  for  their  en- 
coui'agement  may  serve  the  experience, 
of  American  fruit  growers  who  clainv 


44 


THE    CANADIAN    H0RTICULTUEI8T. 


to  have  succeeded  with  Cutbbert  on 
light  soil,  but  that  is  a  point  on  which  | 
I  stand  aside.  But  as  to  productive- 
ness I  have  no  doubt  personally.  I  do 
not  like  to  say  it  is  as  productive  as 
Philadelphia,  simply  because  I  should 
like  a  little  more  experience  with  it 
before  praising  it  so  highly.  With  it 
on  my  place  three  seasons — in  only  one 
of  which  it  had  growth  enough  to  bear 
a  full  crop — I  am  not  going  to  write 
as  if  I  knew  all  about  it ;  but,  taking 
into  account  the  mutilation  of  the  roots 
to  remove  the  suckers  for  planting,  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  placing  it  second 
only  to  Philadelphia  in  bearing  quali- 
ties, out  of  a  dozen  red  raspberries 
tested  so  far. 

But  what  are  its  faults  1  A  distin- 
guished American  horticulturist  and 
nutseryman  says  that  is  just  what  he 
has  been  trying  for  years  to  find  out — 
and  can't.  Such  excellence  as  this  in 
the  Cuthbert  is  more  than  I  can  see, 
but  its  demerits  are  certainly  neither 
great  nor  numerous.  Such  as  they  are 
on  my  grounds,  however,  I  state  them, 
as  we  need  to  look  on  both  sides  of  a 
question  of  fruit  as  of  anything  else. 

And  first,  the  canes  do  not  seem  quite 
stiff  enough  for  the  load  of  fruit.  The 
stems  shoot  up  with  g:sat  rapidity  in 
spring  ;  in  late  summer  they  grow 
slower  and  mature  innumerable  fruit 
buds,  and  the  stalk,  of  course,  thicTiens 
up,  but  does  not  appear  to  acquire  that 
toughness  and  rigidity  of  fibre  we  note 
in  the  Philadelphia  and  Turner.  With 
the  long  laterals  which  summer  pinch- 
ing causes,  of  course  the  effect  is  to  let 
some  of  the  fi-uit  get  splashed  in  the 
event  of  a  heavy  rain,  and  if  deep 
snows  come  in  winter  these  laterals  are 
apt  to  be  broken  off.  Older  experience 
may  show  a  stiffening  up  of  the  cane^ 
and  different  application  of  pinching 
favor  a  growth  of  laterals  too  high  to 
be  broken  down  by  snows,  but  I  simply 
state  what  I  have  seen  so  far. 


Then  T  have  not  been  able  to  quite 
gauge  its  hardiness.  The  first  winter 
the  yearling  plants,  together  with 
foreign  sorts,  were  badly  killed — per- 
haps, indeed  probably,  because  of  too 
vigorous  late  growth — but  frozen  they 
were,  and  the  fact  must  be  faced.  Last 
winter  they  came  through  smiling  in 
spite  of  that  cold  dip  that  almost 
brought  the  thermometer  down  from 
the  peg  and  the  oldest  inhabitant  to  his 
memory's  end.  But  Clarke  and  Fran- 
conia  came  through  too,  nearly  as  well. 
And  this  winter,  January  13th,  they 
are  gi^en  to  the  tips,  except  where  very 
late  fall  growth  was  made — but  the 
foreign  sorts  are  not  far  behind. 

( >n  the  whole,  I  do  not  think  in  this 
climate  it  is  any  hardier  than  Franconia, 
Clarke,  &c.,  on  one  year  old  plants,  but 
rather  moi-e  so  when  full  grown ;  but 
I  do  not  regard  the  moist  favorable 
climate  of  Owen  Sound  fit  to  decide 
the  question,  and  I  look  eagerly  for 
reports  of  my  brother  fruit  growers  in 
other  districts  to  fix  its  value  as  to 
hardiness  for  the  Province,  conscious 
too  that  Cuthbert  did  not  get  a  fair 
relative  trial  with  me,  because  1  had  it 
on  rich  soil  that  caused  quick  soft 
growth,  while  the  other  sorts  were  on 
poor  soil  that  caused  closer  grained 
hardier  wood. 

Lastly,  it  has  a  large  hollow — per- 
haps not  wider  than  other  sorts  ;  Init 
that  long  crimson  cone  fits  on  to  a  long 
stem,  and  fits  pretty  tightly  too,  though 
not  so  as  to  break  in  the  picking,  and 
when  it  comes  off  and  lies  with  its 
neighbors  in  a  quart  basket,  I  should 
expect,  after  jolting  in  the  express  ear, 
or  standing  thirty  lioui-s  in  a  shop  win- 
dow, a  sinking  down  in  the  basket  that 
would  cause  a  distinct  murmtir  at  the 
purchaser's  end'  of  the  line. 

That's  the  Cuthbert.  Tliere's  room 
for  a  better  l>erry — a  little  better — and, 
as  usual,  a  number  of  claimants  for 
public    favor    are    ready   to    step    in  ; 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


45 


among  which  Lost  Rubies  stands  first 
perliaps.  But  these  are  untried,  and 
may  turn  out  good  or  the  reverse.  If 
any  man  knovjs  any  raspberry  that  is 
better  than  Cuthbert,  let  him  speak 
up  !  It  must  be  good  indeed  !  1 
don't ;  and  if  any  man  wants  rasp- 
berries without  too  much  trouble  and 
plants  the  Cuthbert,  I  shall  expect  him 
to  get  lots  of  large  handsome  berries 
that  are  very  good  to  take — internally 
or  to  market — and  to  feel  about  as 
satisfied  as  he  can  well  expect  to  be  in 
the  fruit  business. 


EVERCxREENS  FOR  HEDGE,  &c. 
ClintoH,  Jan.  20th,  1882. 

Dear  Sir. — I.  What  kind  of  ever- 
greens is  suitable  for  a  low  hedge  in  a 
garden  or  cemetery  that  will  stand 
trimming  and  not  break  down  with 
the  snow  1 

2.  What  kind  of  evergreens  are  suit- 
alile  for  a  lawn  as  trees  for  ornament  ] 

J.  What  time  of  the  year  should 
they  be  pruned  to  make  them  grow 
close  { 

4.  Is  there  any  particular  way  of 
trimming  them? 

5.  Is  any  book  published  with  dia- 
grams showing  the  proper  way  'i 

♦?.  Will  it  hurt  trees  twenty  years 
old  to  cut  them  back .  to  make  them 
grow  close  1  A  Subscriber. 

ANSWER. 

1.  The  best  are  the  dwarf  Arbor 
Vitftis,  which  are  of  easy  culture,  can 
be  trimmed  in  any  form,  and  seldom 
get  broken  by  the  s^now. 

2.  The  Hemlock  Spi-uce,  White 
spruce,  Norway  Spnice,  Austrian  Pine, 
Scotch  Pine  and  White  Pine,  are  all 
hue  lawn  trees,  especially  in  grounds 
of  considerable  size.  The  American 
Arbor  Vitae,  Siberian  Arbor  Vitae, 
Sweedish   Juniper,  Prostrate  Juniper, 


Savin  Juniper  and  American  Yew,  are 
suitable  for  smaller  grounds. 

3.  The  best  time  to  prune  them  ifv 
the  last  of  May  or  first  of  June,  when 
the  trees  are  beginning  to  make  a  new 
growth, 

4.  The  best  method  of  pruning  the 
Pine  and  Spruces  is  to  rub  off  the 
terminal  buds  of  the  branches  it  is 
desired  to  make  more  dense  just  as  they 
begin  to  push.  If  this  is  done  when 
the  trees  are  small,  and  kept  up  as 
occasion  may  require,  it  will  never  be 
necessary  to  use  the  knife,  an<l  tlie  trees 
can  be  kept  compact  and  symmetrical 
with  ease.  The  Arbor  Vitses  and 
Junipers  can  be  trimmed  witli  the 
shears  and  brought  into  any  desired 
form.  In  all  cases  it  is  desirable  to 
commence  the  pruning  when  the  ti-ees 
are  small,  so  that  but  little  cutting 
away  will  be  needed. 

5.  We  have  never  seen  any  such 
work. 

7.  No,  if  tlue  pruning  be  not  too 
severe.  It  will  require  more  time  to 
bring  such  a  tree  into  a  (\enso  form 
than  one  that  is  young,  but  by  patient 
shortening  in  every  season,  cutting  off 
the  ends  of  the  branches,  and  waiting 
for  the  tree  to  grow  more  dense  from 
year  to  year,  the  object  will  at  length 
be  accomplished  witho^it  cutting  off 
large  branches,  which  would  make  the 
tree  unsightly  for  some  time.. 


The  Cumberland  Strawberry. — Ch;u. 
Hurd,  of  Michigan,  says  :  The  Cumber- 
land Triumph  is  the  largest  and  moHt 
deliotfchj  flavored  berry  on  my  groimds. 
It  is  a  beiTy  to  delight  the  amateur,  is  a 
rank  grower  and  an  abundant  bearer.  A 
few  days  since  I  received  a  letter  Iroui. 
Mr.  Miller,  the  originator,  in  which  he 
says  that  from  IJ  aorea  this  season  he 
obtained  270  bushels.  I  consider  it 
among  the  finest  cultivat(jd. — Fr;iiJ:  Re- 
corder. 


46 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


FIVE  RASPBERRIES  COMPARED. 

I  have  been  myself  daily  picking 
among  the  following  named  red  rasp- 
berries during  the  last  week,  comparing 
points,  which  count  in  estimating  the 
value  of  varieties,  and  hand  you  here- 
with, in  a  tabulated  form,  the  results. 
My  land  is  a  sandy  loam,  and  that 
occupied  by  the  raspberries  is  about 
uniform  in  quality,  about  right  to  pro- 
duce forty  bushels  of  dent  corn  per 
acre. 

In  this  scale  of  points  I  give  ten,  not 
as  perfection,  but  as  the  highest  yet 
reached  by  any  variety — as  for  instance, 
Thwack  is  the  hardiest,  Reliance  most 
productive,  while  Turner  is  generally 
conceded  a  standard  in  respect  to  flavor 
of  the  berry  : 


NAME  OF  BERRY. 

so 

a 

Productiveness. 

Firmness  of 
Fruit. 

1 

8 
10 
8 

9 
8 

11 

II 

.  10 
8 
9 

7 
9 

>> 

1 

1 

Thwack    

lieliance  .t 

10 
9 

8    10 
in      Q 

L 

8!  54 

8,  8      8 

8!  9      7 
9    9      8 

1 

10  51 

Cnfhbert.    or     "  Queen     of 

Market" 

Wiaant  

1 

8  48 

9  52 

1 

Remarks.— Those  who  grow  berries  solely  for  mar- 
ket will  pay  no  attention  to  quality,  for— I  regret  to 
say — quality  tiount.s  zero  in  the  market,  while  attrac- 
tiveness (inf'luding  size  and  color)  counts  everything. 
Those,  on  the  other  hand,  who  grow  berries  for  their 
own  use  only  will  look  at  good  quality,  h<<rdiness, 
and  productiveness,  rather  than  for  large  size  and 
brightness  of  color. 

There  are  some  characteristics  of  the 
above  named  varieties  not  noted  in  the 
table  which  should  have  an  influence 
in  determining  upon  a  selection.  The 
Turner  is  a  few  days  earlier  in  ripening 
than  either  of  the  others.  It  is  followed 
in  two  or  three  days  by  Thwack  and 
Winant,  then  comes  Rtdiance,  and  latest 
the  Cuthbert.  The  Reliance  continues 
in  bearing  a  little  longer  than  any  other 
sort  of  red  i-aspberries.  The  crop  of 
Reliance  is  but  two-thirds  ripened  at 
this  date   (July   IS),  whereas  Turnera 


gave  their  last  picking  for  the  season 
two  days  since. 

All  these  varieties  sprout  from  the 
roots  plentifully,  and  the  young  plants 
coming  up  between  the  rows  must  be 
mercilessly  destroyed,  or  the  "  patch  " 
will  soon  "run  to  waste." 

Of  black-cap  raspberries,  the  Gregg 
still  takes  the  lead,  though  the  canes 
were  sadly  damaged  last  winter — a  rare 
exception  to  its  hitherto  uniform  hardi- 
ness.— 0.  B.  Galusha,  in  Prairie 
Farmer. 

BOOKS  AND  PERIODICALS. 
The  Montreal  Witness 

Is  presenting  a  picture  to  each  sub' 
scriber  to  the  weekly  edition,  and  two 
to  each  subscriber  to  the  daily.  They 
are  stirring  pictures  of  military  life — • 
the  one  a  battle  scene,  and  the  other  a 
verv  suggestive  after  the  battle  roll-call. 

E.  P.  Roe's  Catalogue  of  Small  Fruits 
AND  Grape  Vines  for  the  Spring  of  1882 — 

Gives  a  concise  description  of  a  large 
number  of  Strawberries,  Raspberries, 
Blackberries,  (currants.  Gooseberries 
and  Hardy  Grapes.  He  speaks  in  veiy 
high  i)raise  of  the  Bidwell  Strawberry. 

American  Agriculturist. 

The  January  number  of  this  long- 
established  monthly,  which  now  entei'S 
upon  its  fortieth  year,  is  promptly  to 
hand,  full  of  illustrations  and  infonna- 
tion  interesting  to  every  farmer  and 
gardener.  Issued  by  the  Orange  Judd 
Company,  751  Broadway,  New  York, 
at  $1   50  per  annum. 

Journal  of  the  American  Agricultural 

Assoc  fation 

Is  published  quarterly.  The  last  num- 
ber that  has  reached  us  is  the  one  for 
July  and  October,  1881.  It  is  full  of 
interesting  papers,  on  such  topics  as 
Agricultural  Instruction  for  the  Young; 
the  Railroad  and  the  Farmer ;  Pre- 
ventable Losses,  &c.  It  is  published 
by  the  Association,  at  127  Water  St., 
New  York,  price  $2  00  per  aiinum. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


47 


The  American   Monthly   Microscopical 
Journal,  edited  and  published  by  Romyn 
Hitchcock,  F.  R.  M.  S. ,  No.  53  Maiden  Lane, 
New  York,  at  one  dollar  per  annum — 
Is  replete  with  information  for  the 
microscopical  student,  and  some  of  its 
articles  full  of  interest  to  the  general 
reader. 
The  Gardener's  Monthly. 

The  January  number  for  1882  of 
this  valuable  horticultural  journal  is  to 
hand.  It  is  replete  as  usual  with  in- 
teresting information  concerning  new 
and  rare  plants  and  fruits.  Published 
byChas.  H.  Marot,  8 14  Chestnut  Street, 
Philadelphia,  Penn. 
American  Wine  and  Grape  Grower. 

Devoted  to  the  culture  of  the  vine, 
wine-making,  and  kindred  industries. 
Is  published  monthly,  at  20  Vesey  St., 
New  York.  Subscription  price,  $2  00 
a  year.  The  December  number  has  a 
very  interesting  paper  on  the  pomo- 
logical  resources  of  Texas. 

NoTRS  FROM  SuNNYLAND,    on  the  Manatee 
River,  Gulf  Coast  of  South  Florida. 

A  very  interesting  little  book,  of 
some  eighty  pages,  by  Samuel  C. 
Upham,  of  Braidentown,  Flor.,  giving 
some  stirring  incidents  in  the  early 
history  of  that  region,  and  an  account 
of  the  climate  and  fruit  productions  of 
that  i)art  of  the  State.  He  tells  us  that 
the  first  pound  of  coffee  grown  in  the 
United  States  was  raised  at  Fogarty- 
ville,  Flor.,  in  1880,  by  Madame  Julia 
Atzeroth.  Also  that  the  fruits  grown 
there  are  the  orange,  lemon,  lime,guava, 
pomegranate,  persimmon, olive,  almond, 
<fec.  The  lowest  temperature  was  38°, 
and  the  highest  96°,  during  the  year 
1880.  He  claims  that  South  Florida 
will  one  day  supply  the  world  with 
oranges,  and  that  of  better  quality  than 
those  now  brought  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean. 

Tlie  little  j)eople  have  no  reason  to 
complain  that  they  are  overlooked  by 


writers  or  publishers  now-a-days.  We 
have  before  us  four  publications  especi- 
ally designed  for  their  amusement  and 
instruction,  published  by  D.  Lothrop  tk 
Co.,  Boston,  Mass.  They  are — "  Wide 
Awake,"  an  illustrated  monthly  maga- 
zine, for  $2  50  a  year,  intended  for  the 
larger  young  people  ;  "  Baby  land,"  a 
monthly  at  50  cents  a  year,  for  the  very 
little  ones  ;  "  Little  Folk's  Eeader,"  a 
monthly  at  75  cents  a  year,  for  primary 
schools  and  kindergartens ;  and  "  The 
Pansy,"  which  is  issued  weekly  at  50 
cents  a  year.  These  are  all  beautifully 
illustrated,  and  printed  in  the  best 
style,  and  abound  with  interesting 
stories  that  cannot  fail  to  please  the 
young  readers. 

The  Southern  Cultivator. 

We  have  received  the  January  num- 
ber of  The  Southern  Cultivator  and 
Dixie  Farmer,  the  oldest,  as  it  is  the  best, 
agricultural  journal  in  the  Southern 
States.  It  is  now  published  by  Jas.  P. 
Harrison  &  Co.,  of  Atlanta.  Dr.  W. 
L.  Jones,  for  years  the  editor  of  this 
popular  journal,  retains  his  position  ; 
Dr.  J.  S.  Lawton  is  the  associate. 
Under  this  management,  The  Southern 
Cultivatcn-  will  not  only  maintain  its 
former  high  standard,  but,  with  the 
assistance  of  ample  capital  and  increased 
facilities,  and  contributions  from  the 
most  eminent  and  popular  writers  on 
Agriculture  in  this  country,  will  attain 
a  higher  standing  than  ever. 

The  number  before  us  is  a  gem.  No 
journal  of  its  kind  can  excel  it  in  the 
value  of  its  reading  matter,  the  beauty 
of  its  illustrations,,  and  its  adaptation 
to  the  demands  of  progressive  Southern 
agriculture.  The  illustrated  title  page  is 
the  finest  of  the  kind  we  have  ever  seen. 
The  Southern  Cultivator  and  Dixie 
Farmer  should  be  read  and  studied  by 
every  farmer  and  planter  in  the  South. 
The  terms,  $1  50  a  year,  with  special 
rates  for  clubs,  are  remarkably  low. 


48 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURTST. 


THE  USE  OF  FLOWERS. 

God  might  have  made  the  earth  bring  forth 

Enough  for  great  and  small, 
The  oak-tree  and  the  cedar-tree, 

Without  a  flower  at  all. 

We  might  have  had  enough,— enough 

For  every  want  of  oufs. 
For  luxury,  medicine,  and  toil,— 

And  yet  have  had  no  flowers. 

The  ore  within  the  mountain  mine 

Reqnireth  none  to  grow, 
Nor  does  it  need  the  Lotus  flower 

To  make  the  river  flow. 

The  clouds  might  give  abundant  rain, 

The  nightly  deM^s  might  fall. 
And  the  herb  that  keepeth  life  in  man 

Might  yet  have  drunk  them  all. 

Then  wherefore,  wherefore  were  they  made 

And  dyed  with  rainbow  light, 
All  fashioned  with  supremest  grace, 

Ui>springing  day  and  night  ? 

Springing  in  valleys  green  and  low, 

And  on  the  mountains  high, 
And  in  the  silent  wilderness. 

Where  no  man  passeth  by  ? 

Our  outward  life  requires  them  not, 
Then  wherefore  had  they  birth  ? 

To  minister  delight  to  man — 
To  beautify  the  earth. 

To  comfort  him,  to  whisper  hope 

Whene'er  his  faith  is  dim, 
For  whoso  careth  for  the  flowers 

Will  much  more  care  for  Him 

Mary  HowiTT. 


Paper  Bags  for  Grapes. — George  W. 
"Campbell  says  that  further  experiments 
with  paper  bags  of  thin  manilla  on  grapes 
during  growth  and  ripening,  show  that 
they  preserve  against  birds  and  rot.  The 
bunches  should  be  previously  thinned  out, 
to  make  the  bagging  easy.  The  grapes 
ripen  perfectly. — Country  Gentleman. 

The  Mammoth  Pearl  Potato.-— We 
cut  into  single  eyes  and  planted  one-half 
bushel  of  Mammoth  Pearl  potatoes  last 
spring,  after  the  middle  of  May,  and 
the  first  of  October  we  dug  from  same 
36  bushels  of  very  large,  smooth,  white 
potatoes.  All  who  saw  them  growing 
were  astonished  at  the  vines,  which  com- 
pletely covered  the  ground,  but  when 
they  saw  the  yield  they  opened  their  eyes 
in  wonder.  Such  beauties  had  never 
before  been  seen  in  this  or  any  other 
country.  The  beauty  of  these  potatoes 
is  this  :  there  is  not  a  hollow  or  rotten 
one  in  the  lot,  and  they  are  such  rank 
growers  the  bugs  can't  catch  them. — A. 
W.  F. ,  in  Fruit  Recorder. 


Squashes  to  keep  well  must  first  be 
well  ripened  ;  second,  they  should  be 
gathered  before  heavy  frosts  come  ;  third, 
should  be  well  dried  ;  fourth,  the  shell 
should  be  Well  glazed  over,  and  while  it 
need  not  be  thick  it  should  be  hard  ; 
fifth,  they  should  be  kept  where  the  tem- 
perature is  very  even,  never  very  cold,  or 
very  hot ;  sixth,  in  handling,  great  care 
should  be  taken  not  to  bruise  them — 
this  is  of  the  highest  importance. 

We  are  informed  by  G.  H.  Miller,  of 
the  ad-interim  committee,  that  the  Cum- 
berland strawberry,  in  addition  to  its 
large  size,  handsome  form  and  good 
quality,  has  been  successfully  shipped 
from  Barnesville  to  Chicago  (some  400 
or  500  miles),  arriving  in  fine  order,  and 
selling  as  high  as  $9. 60  per  bushel.  As 
it  has  commonly  been  supposed  to  be  too 
soft  for  long  conveyance,  this  fact  gives 
it  additional  value. — Country  Gentleman. 

Strawberries  in  Iowa. — A  corres- 
pondent of  the  Prairie  Farmer,  in 
Southern  Iowa,  says  the  Sharpless,  Great 
American,  Col.  Cheney,  Lincoln  and 
Longfellow  have  all  failed  with  him, 
while  the  Charles  Downing,  Kentucky 
and  Crescent  succeed  well,  and  the  old 
Monroe  Scarlet,  raised  by  Ellwanger  & 
Barry,  of  Rochester,  holds  its  own 
against  weeds  and  neglect,  and  has  borne 
well  every  year  for  twenty-five  years. — 
Country  Gentleman. 

Improvements  in  Fruit  Dryers. — 
Mr.  David  Britton,  of  Jonesborough,  111., 
has  patented  a  fruit  dryer,  which  has 
superior  drying  facilities  and  oflers  in- 
creased conveniences  for  inserting,  chang- 
ing, and  removing  the  fruit.  It  consists 
of  a  drying  house  having  a  separable  strip 
in  its  roof  to  provide  for  the  escape  of  the 
moist  air  and  to  promote  circulation  of 
the  heated  air,  a  furnace  for  heating  the 
incoming  air  ;  guiding,  and  distributing 
plates  for  the  air  to,  at  the  sides  of,  and 
above  the  furnace  ;  a  series  of  tracks  of 
ways  on  opposite  sides  of  the  interior  of 
the  drying  house  and  arranged  one  above 
the  other  to  support  tiers  of  drawers  which 
hold  the  fruit  to  be  dried  ;  and  separable 
end  frames  having  crossbars  and  hinged 
doors  to  provide  for  the  entry  and  re- 
moval of  the  drawers  with  very  little 
waste  K)f  heated  air. — Scientijic  American. 


PRINTED  AT  tHE  STEAM  PRESS  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  COPP,  CLARK  »  CO.,  COLBORNE  STREET,  TORONTO. 


Painted  Foti  Vicks  Monthly 

Chinese    Primrose. 


K«rle&  to.  «oi-hcstiT,\'Y. 


THE 


VOL.  v.] 


MARCH,  1882. 


[No.  3. 


THE 

The  colored  plate  presented  to  our 
readers  with  this  number  will  enable 
them  to  become  acquainted  with  this 
pretty  flower,  if  perchance  they  have 
not  already  become  familiar  with  its 
bright,  cheery  face.  Of  all  the  window 
plants  we  cultivate,  none  repay  so 
profusely  the  care  bestowed  by  their 
abundant  flowering  all  the  winter  long 
as  this,  and  we  have  often  wondered 
that  it  is  not  more  generally  grown  by 
those  who  are  fond  of  winter-blooming 
plants.  Mr.  Tick  states  in  his  monthly 
magazine  that  the  reason  why  the 
Chinese  Primrose  has  not  come  into 
more  general  use  is  that  it  requires 
several  months  to  bring  it  to  perfection 
from  the  seed,  and  that  care  and  atten- 
tion are  needed  during  this  period  of 
the  plant's  life  to  keep  them  in  a  healthy 
condition;  just  as  though  any  true  lover 
of  flowers  was  not  willing  to  give  all 
the  attention  needed  to  the  perfect 
development  of  his  favorite  flowers. 
Has  it  not  been  rather  a  want  of  know- 
ledge of  the  requirements  of  this  par- 
ticular flower,  than  any  unwillingness 
to  give  the  required  care  which  has 
prevented  it  from  becoming  a  general 
favorite.     Believing  this  to  be  the  true 


OHINESE    PRIMROSE. 

state  of  the  case  we  give  our  readers 
Mr.  Vick's  directions  for  its  cultivation, 
assuring  them  that  there  is  no  better 
authority  on  this  subject  on  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic : 

"  Seed  should  be  sown  any  time  from 
February  until  the  first  of  June,  and,  if 
sown  at  different  times,  the  plants  will 
come  into  bloom  in  succession.  Soil  for 
the  seed  is  best  prepared  by  taking  some 
good  leaf-mold  and  about  twicai^as  much 
fibrous  loam,  made  pretty  fine,  mix  them 
together,  and  add  enough  sharp,  fine  sand 
to  make  the  whole  light  and  porous.  A 
five  or  six-inch  pot  may  be  used  ;  fill  in 
the  bottom  with  coarse  drainage,  and  then 
the  soil  to  a  height  within  an  inch  or  an 
inch  and  a  half  of  the  top,  and  press  it 
down.  Over  this  sprinkle  a  layer  of  fine 
sand,  and  then  water  it  througli  a  fine 
rose  ;  after  the  pot  has  stood  awhile  to 
drain,  the  seed  may  be  sown  on  the  sur- 
face, and  have  the  lightest  possible  cover- 
ing of  fine  sand.  Place  a  pane  of  glass 
over  the  pots  and  stand  it  where  it  will 
get  the  light,  but  not  the  sun,  and  wliere  ^ 
a  pretty  steady  temperature,  ranging  near 
65**,  will  be  maintained.  If  the  atmos- 
phere is  moist,  but  little  water  will  be 
needed  until  the  plants  appear,  but  if  the 
pot  should  become  dry,  water  it  by  stand- 
ing it  in  a  dish  of  water,  allowing  the 
moisture  to  aoak  upwards  into  the  soil,, 


50 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


thus  avoiding  any  disturbance  of  the  sur- 
face. In  about  two  weeks  the  little  plants 
will  begin  to  make  their  appearance,  and 
after  the  third  leaf  has  appeared  the  plants 
may  be  pricked  out  into  other  pots,  pro- 
vided with  soil  the  same  as  described. 
Cover  the  plants  with  glass,  and  keep  in 
a  light,  shady  place,  as  before.  Water  as 
may  be  required,  but  only  enough  to  keep 
the  soil  gently  moist,  and  be  careful  to 
avoid  wetting  the  leaves.  After  a  few 
weeks  growing  in  this  way,  transplant  the 
plants  singly  into  quite  small  pots,  using 
the  same  soil  as  before.  Keep  the  plants 
in  the  same  temperature  as  at  first,  and, 
if  the  season  admits  of  it,  place  them  in  a 
cold-frame ;  give  a  little  air  every  day  to 
prevent  the  plants  from  becoming  drawn. 
In  potting,  the  plants  should  be  set  low  in 
the  pot,  for,  as  they  grow,  they  stretch 
up  above  the  soil  and  require  a  little  more 
to  be  placed  about  them.  As  soon  as  the 
plants  begin  to  grow  well,  repot. into  five- 
inch  potsr,  adding  a  third  part  of  old  cow- 
manure  to  the  soil,  and  keep  them  in  the 
cold-frame  or  a  spent  hot-bed  until  they 
show  their  flower-stems.  The  sing]  e  varie- 
ties are  much  the  best  for  house  or  window 
culture." 

Such  are  the  freshness  and  beauty, 
the  naturalness  and  air  of  vivacity  about 
these  fllowers,  that  one  never  tires  of 
them.  To-day  you  look  at  them  with 
pleasure,  to-morrow  they  greet  you  with 
a  look  of  welcome,  and  you  linger  even 
longer  than  yesterday  to  admire  their 
winsome  grace. 

One  thing  more  should  be  said  of 
their  cultivation,  and  it  is  this,  do  not 
expose  them  to  the  full  blaze  of  our 
summer's  sun,  but  during  the  summer 
keep  them  on  the  north  side  of  a  high 
fence  or  of  some  building.  When  the 
flower  buds  have  formed,  be  careful  not 


to  wet  them  when  watering,  as  when 
kept  too  damp  they  may  decay. 

We  trust  our  readers  will  be  able  to 
grow  this  beautiful  flower  abundantly, 
and  may  experience  the  pleasure  which 
the  writer  has  enjoyed  from  December 
till  May  in  the  possession  of  its  con- 
tinuously charming  bouquets  of  bloom. 


ROAD  SIDE  FENCES. 

The  Committee  to  whom  was  re- 
ferred the  Report  of  the  Committee  on 
Fences  at  our  last  winter  meeting,  with 
instructions  to  furnish  such  facts,  figures 
or  circumstances,  as  led  them  to  the 
conclusions  arrived  at  in  that  Report^ 
now  respectfully  submit : 

1.  That  every  farm  of  100  acres, 
divided  in  the  usual  manner,  will  have 
about  1,200  rods  of  fence  thereon. 

2.  That  one  of  the  best  and  most 
economical  fences  now  coming  into 
general  use  is  a  straight  one,  made  of 
cedar  rails  and  posts.  It  is  usually 
built  five  rails  high,  the  ends  of  the 
rails  being  inserted  into  augur  holes  in 
the  posts,  which  are  set  firmly  in  the 
ground  in  line,  twelve  feet  apart. 

3.  The  cost  of  such  a  fence  for  a  farm 
of  100  acres  will  be  about  as  follows  : 

8,250  Rails  at  $52  per  1,000   $429  00 

1,650  Posts  at  18  cents  each 297  00 

Digging  holes  and  setting  Posts  at 

10  cents  each 165  00 

Boring  holes  in  Posts  at  $1  per  100 

holes    82  50 

Cutting  and  turning  Rails  at  f  1  per 

100 82  50 

Setting  up  the  Rails  at  10  cents  per 

len^h  of  5  Rails 165  00 

16  Gates,  hung  and  painted  at  $6 

each 96  00 

Total    $1,317  00 

or  about  $1  30  per  rod.  Such  a  fence 
is  estimated  to  last  about  25  years. 
The  gates  about  10  years. 

4.  The  annual  charge  for  permanent 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


51 


maintenance   of    such   a   fence   would 

therefore  be : 

Interest  on  (say)  $1,300  at  6  per 

cent $78  00 

Estimated  average  annual    charge 

for    repairs    and   for  permanent 

maintenance  at  6  per  cent 78  00 

Extra  do.,  do.,  for  gates  at  10  per 

cent 9  60 

Kent  of  land  lost  by  fence  6  feet 

wide  =  4. 36  acres  at  $5  per  acre  .       21  80 

Total   $187  40 

The  foregoing  estimate  has  been  made 
with  the  assistance  of  a  thoroughly  prac- 
tical farmer  in  the  Township  of  East 
Whitby;  and  we  are  of  the  opinion, 
that  although  the  cost  of  such  a  fence 
must  necessarily  vary  much  in  different 
localities,  the  cost  of  material  and  labor 
here  submitted  may  be  regarded  as  a 
fair  average  for  the  whole  Province. 

5.  Your  Committee  are  of  the  opinion 
that  the  kind  of  fence  as  usually  con- 
structed in  the  back  country,  involves 
a  much  greater  annual  expenditure  than 
the  one  here  described.  A  common 
snake  fence  of  the  same  length  will 
require  about  26,000  rails,  and  are 
usually  made  of  Basswood,  Pine,  Elm, 
Ash,  &c.  Supposing  these  to  be  hauled  a 
distance  of  one  mile,  they  will  cost  about 

$30  per  1,000,  or $780  00 

Labor  in  setting  up  at  $4  per  100 

rods 48  00 

Preparing  and  setting   16  sets   of 

Bars  at  $2  per  set 32  00 

Total   $860  00 

Such  a  fence  is  estimated  to  last  about 
10  years.  The  bars  about  half  that 
time.  The  annual  charge  for  such  a 
fence  would  therefore  be  : 

Interest  on  $860  at  6  per  cent $51  60 

^timated  average    annual  charge 

for    repairs   and    for  permanent 

maintenance  at  15  per  cent.,  or. .  129  00 
Extra  do.,  do.,  for  Bars  at  20  per 

cent 6  40 

Rent  of  land  lost  by  fence  12  feet 

wide  =  8.72  acres  at  $5  per  acre .       43  60 

Total  $230  60 


Showing  an  annual  expenditure  on  a 
farm  thus  fenced  of  $43  20  for  perma- 
nent maintenance  greater  than  on  the 
fence  as  first  described. 

6.  The  estimate,  therefore,  in  the 
second  paragraph  of  the  previous  Report 
of  two  dollars  per  acre  per  annum  seems 
a  moderate  one,  and  your  Coinmittee 
are  of  the  opinion  that  if  farmei*s  were 
not  compelled  to  fence  against  their 
neighboui-s'  cattle,  they  could  protect 
their  crops  and  their  own  cattle  by  live 
fences,  the  trees  forming  wind-breaks,  by 
the  use  of  hurdles  and  otherwise,  (which 
would  add  much  to  the  general  beauty 
of  the  country,  and  thereby  greatly 
enhance  the  value  of  the  land),  at  less 
than  one  quarter  of  the  yearly  expendi- 
ture above  shown,  or — in  other  words — 
that  the  farmer  of  every  100  acres  of 
land  in  Ontario  could  realize  a  clear 
yearly  profit  over  and  above  wli;at  he 
is  now  doing  (if  every  owner  of  stock 
were  compelled  by  law  to  keep  them 
enclosed)  of  $150. 

7.  That  the  foregoing  figures,  show- 
ing the  unnecessary  but  compulsory 
annual  expenditure  of  $1  50  per  acre 
for  all  cultivated  land  by  the  unwise 
laws  at  present  in  force  in  this  Pro- 
vince, have  been  carefully  prepared, 
and  therefore,  by  applying  them  to 
communities  of  farms,  we  find  that  the 
annual  loss  from  this  cause  to  the  large 
Township  of  London,  in  the  County  of 
Middlesex,  having  a  cultivated  area  of 
nearly  70,000  acres,  is  over  $100,000. 
The  Township  of  Mariposa,  in  the 
County  of  Victoria,  having  cleared  land 
to  the  extent  of  neaily  48,000  acres, 
loses  $72,000  annually.  The  Medel 
Farm  at  Guelph  loses  by  the  same 
means  annually  about  $800.  These 
figures  when  applied  to  the  whole  Pro- 
vince assume  gigantic  proportions,  for 
we  find  from  Official  Rc^ports  that  there 
are  at  the  present  time  between  eleven 
and    twelve   millions   of   acres  under 


52 


THE   CA.NADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


actual  cultivation.     The  total  loss  there- 
fore to  the  farmers  of  Ontario  must  be 
upwards  of  $16,000,000  per  annum. 
Thos.  Beall,  Chairman. 

P.    E.    BUCKE. 

Thos.  Halliday  Watt. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

ENGLISH  SPARROWS. 

Toronto,  Jan.  28,  1882. 
I  enclose  you  an  article  taken  from 
an  Australian  paper  concerning  the 
destructiveness  of  the  English  sparrow 
in  that  Colony,  and  would  suggest  that 
some  steps  be  taken  immediately  to 
suppress  their  increase  in  this  country, 
as  the  destruction  by  birds  in  this  city 
is  beyond  conception.  Chap.  29,  Sta- 
tutes of  Ontario,  sec.  81,  enacts  that 
"  persons  may  destroy  the  robin  and 
cherry  bird  on  tlieir  own  premises 
during  the  fruit  season."  Now  these 
birds  are  harmless  in  comparison  with 
the  sparrow,  and  yet  least  harmless 
during  the  fruit  season ;  therefore  by 
adding  the  sparrow  it  would  not  meet 
the  requirements  necessary,  as  the 
sparrow  is  most  harmful  in  winter  and 
spring  before  the  blossoms  have  burst 
There  should  therefore  be  added,  after 
the  words  cherry  bird,  "and  may  des- 
troy the  English  sparrow  at  any  time." 
I  thinlj:  if  the  above  suggestions  were 
made  to  some  member  of  t\Q  Ontario 
Parliament  now  sitting,  who  is  inter- 
ested in  horticulture,  there  would  be 
no  difficulty  in  introducing  the.  amend- 
ment. Yours,  &c., 

J.  NewhalIi. 


To  the  Editor  of  The  Canadian  Horticulturist 

Sir, — Herewith  I  send  you  an  ab- 
stract Meteoi-ological  Report  for  Lind- 
say for  the  winter  of  1880-81,  compared 
with  abstracts  from  the  reports  issued 
from  the  Observatory  at  Toronto  for 
that  place. 


If  similar  reports  could  be  obtained 
from  several  places — say  from  St.  Ca- 
tharines, Hamilton,  London,  Goderich, 
Guelph,  Owen  Sound,  Orillia,  Peter- 
boro',  Belleville,  Kingston,  and  Ottawa 
— would  it  not  furnish  data  whereby 
almost  positive  information  would  be 
furnished  to  intending  fruit-growers  as 
to  the  success  or  non-success  of  culti- 
vating certain  fruits  in  their  neighbor- 
hood 1  For  if  given  kinds  of  fruit  are 
successfully  grown  in  a  locality  where 
the  climate  is  known,  surely  the  same 
kinds  of  fruit  may  be  grown  in  any 
other  neighborhood  having  like  climatic 
conditions ;  and,  if  experts  fail  to  grow 
certain  fruits  successfully  in  a  given 
neighborhood,  novices  may  not  expect 
to  succeed  with  the  same  varieties  un- 
der similar  conditions  elsewhere. 

Perhaps  the  publication  of  this  re- 
port may  cause  others  to  view  this 
subject  in  the  same  way,  and  possibly 
induce  others  to  furnish  similar  reports. 

I  hope  soon  to  see  this  subject  taken 
up  by  our  Association,  and  accorded 
that  consideration  its  importance  de- 
serves, and  an  application  made  to  the 
Dominion  Government  to  cause  a  re- 
port, compiled  from  the  reports,  from 
all  important  points,  not  only  in  On- 
tario, but  throughout  the  Dominion,  to 
be  issued  periodically  from  the  Meteo- 
rological Office  at  Toronto.  A  know- 
ledge of  the  climate  of  our  vast  Do- 
minion, and  its  possibilities  for  Agricul- 
ture, Horticulture,  Pomology,  and  pos- 
sibly for  Stock-raising,  can  only  become 
general  by  this  or  some  kindred  means. 

Much  valuable  information  may  now 
be  obtained  from  the  Observatory  at 
Toronto,  and  is  always  willingly  given 
by  the  obliging  officers  of  that  institu- 
tion, but  it  is  scarcely  probable  that  a 
periodic  report  as  indicated  could  be 
issued  by  that  already  over- taxed  insti- 
tution. 

Lindsay,  Ont.  Thos.  Beall. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


53 


GENERAL  METEOROLOGICAL  REGISTER  FOR  THE  WINTER  OF  1880-8L 

LiKDSAY. — Lat.  44°  19'  15"  North.     Lon.  5h.  15nu   West.     Approximate  elevation  above  the 
Sea  876  feet.     Compared  with 

ToKoNTO. — Lat.  43°  39'  4"  North.     Long.  5h.  17m.  33s.  West.     Approximate  elevation  above 

the  Sea  350  feet. 


Placks. 

1  . 
o2 

s 

1 

c 

IS 

li 

ti 

Mean  temjierature 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay  .. 

45.0 
42.32 

30.3 
26.10 

21.4 
16.0 

16.7 
9.6 

20.0 
15.9 

30.1 
27.9 

40.0 

43.4 

Toronto  .. 
Lindsay , . 

75.4 
79.0 

67.0 
58.6 

48.5 
42.0 

37.7 
36.1 

42  9 
45.8 

42.1 
49.2 

80.6 

Highest  temperature  for  month 

76.6 

Date  of  highest  temperature  for  month 

Date  of  highest  temperature  for  month 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay  . . 

11 
11 

5 
5 

5 

5 

13 
18 

10 

27 

9 
16 

26 
24 

Toronto  .. 
Lindsay  . . 

26.3 
17.4 

3.7 
—  9.9 

—  8.3 
-16.0 

—  4.8 
—24.4 

—15.1 

-27.8 

10.8 
3.4 

13.9 

Lowest  temperature  for  month 

6.6 

Date  of  lowest  temperature  for  month 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay  . . 

28 
28 

24 
14 

30 
10 

15 

24 

1 
2 

11 
12 

2 

6 

Toronto  .. 
Lindsay . . 

3 

5 
5 

6 
5 

13 
13 

10 
9 

17 
16 

24 

Warmest  da}'  of  the  month 

24 

Mean  temperature  of  warmest  day  of  the  month. 
Mean  temperature  of  warmest  day  of  the  month. 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay  . . 

59.97 
33.6') 

50.53 
62.80 

36.52 
33.15 

33.32 
32.50 

37.93 
39.58 

36.52 
37.22 

61.58 
60.8 

Coldest  day  of  the  month 

Toronto  .. 
Lindsay  . . 

28 
28 

22 
23 

29 
29 

14 
14 

2 
2 

1 
1 

Coldest  day  of  the  month 

4 

Mean  temperature  of  warmest  day  of  the  month. 
Mean  temperature  of  warmest  day  of  the  montli. 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay  . . 

32.47 
26.80 

10.85 
.30 

—  0.82 

—  7.75 

5.25 

—  8.48 

-   7.07 
—10.45 

15.95 
9.30 

20.37 
15.16 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay  . . 

52.86 
53.72 

35.93 
33.81 

26.74 
21.57 

23.80 
19.19 

26.99 
25.00 

35.53 
35.48 

48.73 
49  13 

Mean  maximum  temperature 

Mean  minimum  temi>eratnrc 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay . . 

37.17 
34.06 

23.78 
18,85 

16.40 
9.10 

7.89 
—  2.50 

11.28 
3.95 

24.65 
20.83 

30  40 

Mean  mininuim  temperature 

25.94 

Mean  daily  range    

Toronto  . , 
Lindsay  . . 

15.69 
19.30 

12.15 
26.10 

11.34 
12.48 

15.91 
21.70 

16.71 
20.60 

10.88 
14.06 

Mean  daily  range 

23  '^9 

Greatest  daily  range 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay  . . 

29.1 
39.7 

22.6 
31.1 

23.9 
27.1 

27.8 
47.8 

-29.2 
:<8.9 

19.4 
31.2 

40  9 

Greatest  daily  range 

36.5 

Least  daily  range    

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay.. 

4.9 
6.4 

6.3 
4.5 

2.3 
2.7 

4.6 
5.4 

4.7 
5.3 

2.4 

2.3 

80 
ll.S 

Least  daily  range    .* .' 

Monthly  range 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay . . 

49.2 
61.6 

53.3 

68.5 

56.8 
58.0 

42.5 
60.5 

58.0 
73.6 

31.3 
39.5 

06.7 
69.8 

Monthly  range 

Day  on  wluch  the  greatest  amount  of  snow  or 
rain  fell 

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay.. 

4 
24 

6 
6 

1 

1 

21 
22 

9 
12 

19 

4 

26 

27 

Day  on  wluch  tlie  greatest  amount  of  snow  or 
ralnfell 

Quantity  of  snow  or  rain  on  that  dav  in  inclies  . 
Quantity  of  snow  or  rain  on  that  day  in  inches  . 

Toronto  .. 
Lindsay . . 

.96 
1.11 

1.01 
1.11 

.37 
.70 

.63 
.70 

.57 
.46 

1.72 
1.10 

.05 
.28 

Number  of  days  on  which  snow  or  rain  fell   

Nunib«!r  of  days  on  which  snow  or  rain  fell   

Toronto  . . 
I^mdsay . . 

14 
IS 

22 
17 

20 
9 

19 
14 

15 
18 

15 
10 

7 
5 

Total  depth  of  rain  and  melted  snow  for  month 
in  in<he8    

Toronto  . . 
Lindsay . . 

3.54 
4.03 

2.65 
3.87 

1.11 
1.95 

2.13 
3.00 

8.44 

1.67 

8.67 
166 

.09 
.78 

ToUl  depth  of  ram  and  melted  snow  for  month 
in  inehea    

54 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


BLACK  SPOTS  ON  APPLES. 

Prescott,  Jan.  10,  1882. 
\  I  have  no  doubt  that  I  wrote  the 
article  mentioned  in  your  letter  of  the 
9th  for  the  Canada  Farmer.  The  fruit 
of  several  of  my  apple  trees  had  been 
affected  with  a  black  taint  when  they 
were  about  half  grown ;  they  then 
shrank  and  became  worthless.  I  re- 
membered a  remedy  I  had  read  when 
a  boy  for  caterpillars  and  other  worms 
on  apple  trees,  and  I  thought  I  would 
try  it  on  my  trees,  as  I  was  of  opinion 
that  the  taint  was  occasioned  by  some 
kind  of  poison  in  the  sap,  and  not 
from  the  attacks  of  moths  in  the  fruit. 
Since  that  time  my  apples  have  been 
perfectly  free  from  the  taint — indeed 
the  change  took  place  the  first  season 
after  applying  the  remedy.  I  inserted 
the  sulphur  early  in  the  spring,  before 
the  sap  began  to  ascend  into  the 
branches.  I  cannot  see  that  the  trees 
have  been  injured  by  the  holes  having 
been  bored  into  them  ;  yet  I  think 
grafting  wax  is  preferable  to  wooden 
plugs — anything  to  exclude  the  vmter. 

The  only  enemy  that  has  baffled  me 
is  the  Codlin  Moth,  and  until  last  season 
I  had  almost  given  up  in  despair,  for 
he  is  an  insufferable  nuisance ;  and  if 
these  moths  cannot  be  conquered  we 
shall  lose  in  quantity  and  quality  im- 
mensely. 

For  the  tent  caterpillar  I  tye  a  cotton 
swab  to  the  end  of  a  long  pole,  dip  it 
in  a  pail  of  pretty  strong  lye,  and 
easily  wipe  the  tents  off  in  the  morn- 
ing. Last  spring  I  found  only  tivo 
tents  on  all  my  trees. 

The  apple  tree  Borer  must  be  looked 
after,  otherwise  he  will  destroy  the 
trees — ornamental  as  well  as  fruit. 

My  only  enemy  now,  as  I  said 
before,  is  the  Codlin  Moth.  However, 
I  think  I  have  a  remedy  for  him  also. 
Last  spring,  early  in  April,  I  tried  the 
experiment  on    two  trees — Duchess  of 


Oldenburgh  and  McLean  — of  tying 
tightly  around  their  trunks,  about  18 
inches  from  the  ground,  with  twine,  a 
piece  of  cotton  cloth  about  three  inches 
wide  ;  then  I  daubed  the  cloth  thor- 
oughly with  printer's  ink,  so  that  no 
insect  could  crawl  up  the  trunk  with- 
out sticking  fast  in  the  ink.  Although 
heretofore  my  Duchess  had  been  affect- 
ed as  much  as  the  other  trees,  every 
apple  was  sound  and  perfectly  mature, 
and  the  largest  crop  I  ever  had.  The 
McLean  tree  had  a  few  wormy  apples, 
which  I  could  account  for  :  I  was  taken 
sick  and  could  not  attend  to  more. 
And  here  let  me  say  that  the  Duchess 
of  Oldenburgh  is  the  surest  and  most 
valuable  early  tree  for  the  locality — the 
Brockville  Beauty  next.  The  Red 
Astrachan,  although  hardy,  will  not 
hold  its  fruit,  and  the  apples  burst  as 
soon  as  ripe.  The  Early  or  Yellow 
Harvest  is  too  tender  for  this  climate. 
These  trees  have  all  been  thoroughly 
tried.  Farneuse,  if  kept  clean  of 
borers,  in  my  opinion  stands  above  a\\ 
others  as  a  fall  dessert  apple.  Rhode 
Island  Greening,  Baldwin,  and  Fsapus 
Spitzenburgh — all  magnificent  apples^ 
and  superior  winter  apples  to  all  others 
that  I  know — are  not  reliable,  being 
too  tender.  They  have  all  been  grown 
here,  and  are  not  now  to  be  found. 

The  only  enemy  I  notice  to  the 
Plumb  is  the  black  knot.  I  have  lost 
a  number  of  the  old  Blue  Plumb 
family  by  it.  By  the  use  of  coal  and 
wood  ashes,  and  washing  with  salt 
brine  and  sometimes  lye,  I  have  kept 
the  black  knot  off  uiy  Jefferson  and 
Egg  plumbs  pretty  well  ;  but  I  am  not 
sure  yet  that  I  have  fully  succeeded. 
I  have  not  yet  discovered  the  cause  of 
the  black  knot.  If  I  knew  the  cause 
1  would  not  rest  till  I  found  out  a  cure. 
No  doubt  it  is  *a  fungus,  and  not  the 
effect  of  insects.  ^I  think  it  is  a  poison 
in  the  sap,  which,  perhaps  from  over- 
stimulation with  manr-"    bursts    the 


THE  CANADIAN   H0ETICULTURI8T. 


55- 


bark,  and  then,  unless  cut  out  at  once, 
increases  from  one  tree  to  another  until 
the  tree  is  destroyed.  When  the  black 
knot  begins  on  the  main  trunk  of  the 
tree  it  is  difficult  to  arrest  its  progress. 
I  have  a  dozen  or  more  very  fine  plumb 
trees — all  very  superior — which  I  in- 
tend to  nui-se  and  cultivate  so  as,  if 
possible,  to  bi-ing  them  up  to  the  stand- 
point of  fifty  years  ago. 

I  have  tried  pears  of  various  kinds, 
but  all  have  failed.  A  few  year's  ago 
I  obtained  from  New  Hampshire  six 
young  chestnut  trees.  They  all  died 
the  first  year. 

To  conclude,  if  any  member  of  the 
Fruit  Growers'  Association,  or  any  one 
else,  can  tell  us  why  the  Codlin  Moth 
lays  its  egg  in  the  apple  blossom — 
whether  it  goes  there  to  extract  honey 
or  for  any  other  purpose — I  think  we 
could  soon  invent  a  scheme  to  circum- 
vent him.  Next  spring  I  intend  to  try 
the  cotton  rag  and  printer's  ink  on  all 
my  apple  trees,  and  if  successful  again 
shall  not  fail  to  report. 

Yours  very  truly,     S.  B.  Merrill. 

The  above  was  received  from  Mr. 
John  Croil,  who  remarks  that  Mr. 
Merrill's  plan  is  this  : — "  Early  in 
February,  with  a  three-quarter  inch 
augur,  bore  half  through  the  trees 
diagonally  about  two  feet  from  the 
ground,  fill  the  hole  with  sulphur,  and 
cover  the  orifice  with  grafting  wax  or 
with  a  wooden  plug." 


BEST  CODLIN  MOTH  TRAP. 

I  set  two  traps  on  the  20th  of  last 
August  and  caught  over  one  thousand 
moths  in  one  night.  The  trap  is  a  glass 
lantern  set  in  a  tin  pan  of  water  an 
inch  or  more  deep.  The  light  attracts 
the  moths  and  they  fly  around  the 
lantern,  and  when  they  strike  the 
water  they  are  caught,  as  they  are  help- 
less when  they  once  get  in  the  water. 


In  trimming  the  lanterns  use  less  or 
more  oil,  according  to  the  length  of 
time  you  want  them  to  burn.  They 
should  be  set  on  something  two  feet  or 
more  from  the  ground. 

I  intend  to  use  a  number  of  the 
traps  tliis  season,  commencing  when 
trees  are  in  blossom,  for  the  moths  are 
numerous  and  destructive. 

W.  C.  Raymond. 

Dickinson's  Landing. 


LETTER  FROM  THE  HON.  MARSHALL 
P.  WILDER. 

PRESIDENT    OF   THE  AMERICAN   POMOLOGICAL   SOCIETY. 

"  The  present  number  of  the  Cana- 
dian Horticulturist  is  not  only  in- 
creased in  pages,  but  its  contents  are 
of  a  very  useful  character.  This  may 
be  called  the  Grape  Number,  as  it 
illustrates  in  a  very  lucid  manner  a 
system  of  training  that  any  cultivator 
may  understand.  Plan  and  system  are 
the  foundations  of  success  in  every 
well  ordered  effort  in  life.  You  have 
done  well  to  give  us  so  much  in  one 
issue  on  this  important  branch  of 
pomology,  creating  as  it  will  even  more 
interest  in  the  future  than  it  has  in  the 
past.  I  am  glad  to  see  that  the  Wilder 
grape  succeeds  so  far  north  as  the  47th 
parallel.  I  have  ever  had  a  good 
opinion  of  it,  and  it  was  my  choice 
out  of  all  Mr.  Rogei-s'  hybrids  to  have 
my  name  affixed  to.  Also  am  glad  to 
see  that  the  Champion  is  being  properly 
depreciated.  We  must  keep  up  the 
standard  of  quality,  and  when  we  can 
have  a  grape  as  good  and  as  early  as 
Moore's  Early,  we  can  dispense  with 
the  Champion,  as  I  have  done.  We 
were  very  glad  to  see  your  President 
Dempsey  at  Boston,  and  your  honoi'ed 
former  President,  Rev.  Burnet ;  also, 
I  am  gratified  that  you  thought  well  of 
what  I  said  in  my  addn^ss  before  the 
American  Pomological  Society  on  the 
Grape.  No  country  luis  such  good 
promise  for  its  successful  culture. 


56 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


REPORT  ON  FRUIT  TREES,  &c. 

Appin,  Feb.  5th,  1882. 
As  it  seems  to  be  the  general  prac- 
tice to  give  a  short  history  of  the  trees 
and  plants  received  by  the  members  of 
the  Fruit  Growers'  Association,  I  will 
do  so.  The  pear  trees  are  doing  well, 
excepting  the  Beurre  Clairgeau;  Clapp's 
Favorite  blossomed  nicely  last  spring, 
but  bore  no  fruit;  Beurre  d'Anjou 
has  fruited  twice ;  Flemish  Beauty  is 
growing  nicely.  My  apple  trees  are 
growing  nicely;  Grimes  Golden  has 
not  fruited  as  yet.  My  Burnet  grape 
vine  makes  but  poor  growth  as  yet ; 
my  other  vines  are  all  dead  long  ago. 
My  Hales  peach  was  dry  and  withered 
up  when  it  came  to  hand,  being  taken 
up  as  I  believe  in  the  fall  of  the  year 
before  it  was  sent  out,  and  never  started 
into  growth  at  all.  My  Blackberry 
never  came  to  anything,  nor  the  Rasp- 
berry either.  The  last  Raspberry  has 
made  a  good  growth  since  planted. 
My  Gooseberry  bush  never  started  into 
growth  in  the  spring.  Planting  small 
fruits  in  the  fall  should  be  avoided. 
All  nursery  trees  and  plants  should  be 
dug  up  with  more  care  than  is  gener- 
ally bestowed  on  them.  In  taking  up  in 
the  nursery,  all  the  fibrous  roots  are 
as  a  general  rule  left  in  the  ground  and 
only  the  stock  sent  out.  I  would  pre- 
fer a  smaller  tree  or  plant,  provided  it 
had  a  good  root  left  to  the  tree.  This 
is  a  serious  fault  with  many  nursery- 
men. My  Hydrangea  Paniculata  grew 
■  well  in  the  first  part  of  the  season  ;  it 
put  out  buds  for  flowei^,  but  the  dry 
weather  prevented  it  from  flowering, 
and  in  September  its  leaves  dried  up. 
1  do  not  know  if  it  is  dead  or  not. 
-Mr.  Lotan's  tree  has  done  well  ;  his 
Raspberry  is  doing  nicely  ;  his  potatoes 
have  turned  out  well.  I  have  given  a 
brief  resume  since  my  last  report.  My 
Glass  seedling  plum  has  not  fruited 
yet;  the  blossoms  have  dropped  off"; 
this  tree  is  a  very   free  grower ;  if  the 


fruit  can  compare  with  the  growth  of 
the  tree  it  will  be  a  great  acquisition 
to  the  plum  orchard.  I  am  glad  that 
the  Directors  allow  of  a  choice  ;  it  is  in 
the  right  direction. 

The  Horticulturist  is  getting  to  be  a 
very  useful  pamphlet  to  me.  I  begin 
to  look  for  it  regularly  every  month 
with  its  discussions  and  notices  of 
fruits,  besides  its  being  so  handy  a 
reference  book,  with  its  index  to  the 
yearly  volume.  It  is  worth  more  than 
the  whole  cost  to  have  the  opinion  of 
those  who  are  in  a  position  to  know 
the  merits  or  the  demerits  of  those  new 
trees,  fruits,  &c.,  peddled  around 
through  the  country  by  unscrupulous 
men.  If  there  were  more  copies  of  the 
Horticulturist  taken  by  the  farmers 
around  here  there  would  not  be  such 
big  shaves  got  from  them  for  new  fruit 
trees  at  enormous  prices. 

Yours  truly,      John  McIntyre. 


ALGOMA. 


Bhnd  River,  Dec.  17,  1881. 
My  Wealthy  Apple  which  came  to 
me  fi-om  the  Association  has  done  well, 
although  it  was  about  two  weeks  on 
the  way  in  the  mail  bags  before  I  got 
it,  and  I  give  thanks  for  the  good  con- 
dition it  was  packed  in  so  as  to  stand 
the  long  mail  transit.  We  have  had  a 
good  year  for  wild  fruits.  Oanberries, 
blue  berries,  raspberries  and  straw- 
berries were  all  very  plentiful  this  year, 
which  has  been  of  great  benefit  io  the 
new  settler  of  this  out  of  the  way  part 
of  the  world.  We  also  have  had  good 
crops  of  all  kinds  of  gi*ain  and  roots. 
Corn  has  done  well,  and  I  tried  a  few 
rows  of  the  Early  Amber  sugar  cane, 
which  was  planted  too  late — the  second 
of  June — and  grew  nine  feet  high  and 
looked  well,  but  was  killed  with  frost 
the  middle  of  September ;  but  we  had 
plenty  of  tomatoes,  pumpkins,  and 
squash,  which  matured  well.    I  planted 


THE   CANADIAN    HOETICDLTUKIST. 


57 


a  few  apple  trees  last  spring,  which 
grew  very  well  this  summer,  and  I 
hope  to  report  that  they  have  stood  the 
winter  well. 

Yours  with  respects, 

W.  Warnock. 


GRAPES  -  POTATOES-  CHERRIES. 

The  Delaware  is  the  best  grape  grown 
around  here.  Creveling  has  done  well 
with  me.  The  Burnet  has  not  had 
fair  play,  but  promises  well.  The  Con- 
cord, if  it  is  the  Concord,  has  never 
ripened.  I  have  about  a  dozen  other 
kinds  not  tested  :  Moore's  Early,  Salem, 
Wilder,  Champion,  Telegraph,  Rogers' 
No.  3,  9,  Brighton,  &c. 

My  taste  is  depraved  enough  to  like 
the  Hartford  ;  one  advantage  it  has, 
at  least,  it  always  ripens.  We  always 
winter  cover  our  vines  with  a  few 
inches  of  earth. 

Gooseberries  I  used  always  to  train 
on  a  single  stem  ;  many  recommend 
five  or  six  stems,  renewed  yearly ; 
would  like  your  advice  on  this.  Mr. 
Tait  says  he  uses  sulphur  to  prevent 
mildew  with  success. 

The  Dempsey  potato  did  well  with 
me,  from  a  barrel  on  sod,  no  manure, 
I  had  70  bushels  (we  are  using  them 
now,  excellent).  Beauty  of  Hebron 
good,  very  early  and  prolific. 

I  let  the  Early  Vermont  take  the 
place  of  the  Early  Rose  with  me. 
Very  like  it,  but  I  think  a  little  earlier 
and  more  productive.  Peerless  I  find 
good  for  spring  use,  and  a  fair  cropper. 
I  have  seed  for  a  tiial  of  the  Late 
Rose  next  spiing  ;  neighbors  speak 
well  of  them. 

Cherries  which  used  to  be  with  us  a 
sure  crop  till  the  birds  claimed  them, 
have  been  entirely  barren  the  last  lew 
years.     Is  this  geneml  1 

John  Croil. 
Aultsville. 


REPORT  ON  TREES,  &c.,  RECEIVED. 

With  reference  to  Mr.  Geo.  Elliott's 
report  on  the  trees,  <fec.,  he  has  re- 
ceived from  the  Association  (Vol.  V., 
No.  1,  p.  14),  I  beg  to  observe  that  I 
have  succeeded  in  raising  every  one  of 
the  various  trees  received  from  the 
Association  since  1874,  the  year  that  I 
joined. 

The  Salem  Grape  does  not  bear 
much  fruit,  and  the  bunches  are  small ; 
what  there  are  are  very  good  to  eat. 
Swayzie  Pomme  Grise  (1875)  is  now  a 
handsome  young  tree,  and  fruited 
twice,  two  or  three  each  year ;  rather 
small,  but  good.  Glass  Seedling  Plum 
(1876)  arrived  nearly  dried  up  and 
dead,  but  budded  out  at  last  into  many 
branches,  though  so  late  that  they  were 
mostly  winter  killed  ;  it  is,  however, 
now  a  fine  tree,  and  I  trust  will  bear 
this  year.  Diadem  Raspberry  and 
Strawberry  (1877)  grew  well,  but 
neither  had  much  fiavor.  Burnet 
Gmpe  (1878)  has  gi-own  well  and 
fruited  twice ;  bunches  small,  and 
most  of  the  berries  not  larger  than 
peas,  a  few  only  on  each  bunch  full 
size ;  a  little  sharp,  but  very  nice 
flavor.  Arnold's  Ontario  Apple  (1879) 
growing  well ;  bore  three  apples  in 
1881 ;  small,  rather  sour ;  trust  they 
may  improve.  Saundei-s'  Rasi)berry, 
No.  72  (1880),  made  fine  shoots,  like 
a  black  cap;  fruit  rather  small. 
Brighton  Grape  (1881)  made  one  small 
shoot. 

When    gathering    Asparagus    is   it 

(even)  possible  to  pull  the  stalks  up, 

as  recommended  in  the  poetical  efiu- 

sion  on  page  24  (third,  h'lst  stanza)  1    I 

should  think  it  would  injure  tlie  crown 

of  the  root.     I  always  cut  mine  with 

a  shai-p  knife,  but  ciirefully,  so  as  not 

to    destroy    any   not   yet    above    the 

surface.  ^^ 

G.  (Cobourg). 


68 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


CULTIVATION  OF  CELERY. 

Dear  Sir, — I  noticed  in  the  reports 
of  the  proceedings  of  the  late  meeting 
of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association, 
that  one  of  the  subjects  under  discus- 
sion was  the  best  method  of  the  culti- 
vation of  celery. 

It  was  remarked  by  one  of  the  mem- 
bers that  the  ravages  of  the  insect  was 
one  of  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered 
in  raising  it. 

I  have  the  same  complaint  to  make. 
For  several  years  I  endeavored  with 
great  care  to  raise  this  delicious  vege- 
table, but  was  unsuccessful  in  conse- 
quence of  the  destruction  caused  by  an 
imperceptible  insect^  so  I  gave  up  the 
attempt. 

The  year  before  last  I  saw  a  remedy 
given  in  the  Fruit  Recorder,  edited  by 
A.  M.  Purdy,  Esq.,  of  Palmyra,  N.  Y., 
and  was  determined  to  make  another 
effort,  which,  I  am  happy  to  say,  has 
proved  entirely  successful  for  the  past 
two  seasons. 

The  remedy  is  to  water  the  celery 
once  a  week  with  soap  suds  from  the 
wash  tub,  and  afterwards  dust  the 
plants  with  a  little  of  the  flour  of 
sulphur,  which  will  entirely  destroy 
the  enemy.  This  should  be  continued 
throughout  the  season. 

Yours  truly, 
William  M.  Murray. 

Niagara,  Ont. 


MULBERRIES. 

Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  give  me 
all  the  information  you  can  about  the 
Mulberry  tree,  as  to  its  hardiness  (1), 
productiveness  (2),  and  quality  of 
fruit  (3). 

Jesse  Weldon. 

Oakwood. 

1.  The  Black  or  English  Mulberry 
is  not  perfectly  hardy  in  all  parts  of 
Ontario.     It   will  do   best  where  the 


peach  is  successfully  cultivated.  The 
new  American  Mulberry  promises  to 
be  much  more  hardy.  The  Russian 
Mulberry  should  be  hardy  as  far  north 
as  Sault  Ste.  Marie. 

2.  All  varieties  are  exceedingly  pro- 
ductive. 

3.  There  is  some  difference  in  the 
flavor  of  the  different  sorts,  but  the 
three  sorts  named  above  are  highly 
esteemed  for  fine  quality. 


WHAT  OUR  SUBSCRIBERS  SAY 

OF  US. 

I  highly  prize  and  esteem  your 
periodical,  and  consider  it  well  worth 
the  money  without  any  premium. 

Wm.  Hood. 

Valleyfield,  Pr.  of  Que. 

I  was  well  satisfied  with  the  Potatoes 
I  got  last  spring.  I  had  foui;  heaped 
pails  full  from  the  pound. 

Wm.  S.  Inkster. 
Maxwell. 

Please  tell  your  Association  to  still 
continue  to  agitate  the  prohibition  of 
cattle  being  allowed  to  run  at  large. 

John  Bothwell,  Sen. 
Springville. 

I  am  very  much  pleased  with  the 
Canadian  Horticulturist,  it  contains 
information  very  useful  to  a  fruit 
grower, 

William  A.  Wallis. 

Humber. 

I  am  very  glad  to  welcome  the  Cana- 
dian Horticulturist  in  its  new  and 
enlarged  shape,  and  hope  that  the  in- 
creased information  it  affords  will  prove 
a  benefit  to  the  Association,  and  be  the 
means  of  enlarging  the  number  of  its 
subscribers,  as  it  so  much  deserves. 

G.    WiLGRESS. 
Cobourg. 


IHE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTUEIBT. 


59 


1  am  glad  you  have  seen  your  way 
to  the  enlargement  of  the  paper.  It 
will  help  to  popularize  and  extend  the 
usefulness  of  the  Association. 


T.  C.  Wheatley. 


Sarnia. 


Have  received  the  January  number 
of  the  Horticulturist,  with  which  I 
am  greatly  pleased.  It  has  been  the 
means  of  diffusing  much  useful  informa- 
tion both  for  the  garden  and  orchard, 
and  I  much  wish  the  usefulness  of  your 
periodical  greatly  extended.  I  have 
been  much  benefited  myself,  and  am 
sure  others  also  have  profited  by  its 
perusal. 

Geo.  Strauchon. 
Woodstock. 

Enclosed  is  my  subscription  for  the 
Canadian  Horticulturist.  It  is  a 
little  book  I  am  well  pleased  with,  and 
consider  the  money  well  laid  out,  for 
the  information  to  be  got  from  it  is 
very  valuable  to  those  who  take  a 
delight  in  gardening,  and  I  should  be 
very  glad  to  see  it  grow  larger,  even  if 
it  cost  more.  I  look  upon  it  as  a  cheap 
Dollar's  worth. 

Allen  Chapman. 

Cayuga. 

I  will  say  that  I  think  more  and 
more  of  the  good  work  done  by  the 
Fruit  Growei-s'  Association  by  every 
number  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist 
I  receive,  and  I  look  for  it  anxiously 
every  month.  I  think  it  will  be  more 
interesting  this  year  than  ever,  as  it  is 
80  much  larger  than  formerly  ;  and  it 
will  help  us  to  make  our  liomes  beau- 
tiful by  what  is  shewn  us  in  those 
colored  plates.  A  great  many  of  us 
must  see  to  be  convinced,  and  I  be- 
lieve there  are  a  great  many  who  have 
seen  the  plate  in  the  January  number 
who  will  appreciate  the  Gladiolus  a 
deal  more  than  they  ever  did   before. 


What  I  have  received  from  the  Asso- 
ciation has  done  well. 

William  Jones. 
Box  Grove. 


Your  valuable  "  Report "  duly  to 
hand,  also  the  Canadian  Horticul- 
turist. These  excellent  publications 
are  brim-ful  of  important  information 
for  the  horticulturist,  fruit  grower  and 
entomologist.  Our  Southern  people 
know  but  little  of  the  capabilities  of 
the  Dominion  of  Canada.  Even  the 
Northern  States  are  excelled  by  you, 
especially  in  the  keeping  qualities  of 
fruits. 

James  Fritz. 

Albermarle  Co.,  Virginia. 

I  was  very  much  pleased  with  the 
January  number  for  this  year,  and  T 
trust  the  Society  will  meet  with  further 
success.  I  wish  I  could  make  more 
fanners  believe  it  is  to  their  interest  to 
subscribe.  As  the  Society  has  now 
taken  up  the  subjects  of  growing  flowera 
and  shrubs,  I  think  the  old  members 
might  make  an  effort  and  get  a  few 
ladies  to  join,  or  better  still,  subscribe 
for  an  extra  copy,  and  make  some  lady 
friend  a  present  of  it. 

Chas.  Jas.  Fox. 
Delaware. 

I  am  glad  to  add  my  testimony  with 
others  to  the  great  good  the  Fruit 
Growers  Association  of  Ontario  is  doing 
throughout  the  country.  The  enlarge- 
ment of  the  Horticulturist  is  a  step 
in  the  right  direction,  and  the  Directors 
are  to  be  congratulated  in  their  efforts 
to  popularize  it.  Some  of  the  articles 
on  various  subjects  are  of  no  mean 
order,  and  reflect  credit  on  the  contri- 
butors. The  valuable  hints  given  and 
experiences  related  through  tlie  Hor- 
ticulturist cannot  fail  to  be  justly 
appreciated  by  those  who  take  an  in- 
terest in  a  department  so  varied  and 


60 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


replete  with  the  choicest  of  God's  pre- 
cious gifts.  Sometimes  one  is  a  little 
puzzled  to  arrive  at  a  conclusion  as  to 
"  what  to  grow"  &c.  The  evidence  as 
to  what  is  the  best  is  often  very  con- 
tradictory. Still  there  are  a  great 
many  considerations  which  have  to  be 
weighed,  such  as  soil,  climate,  drainage, 
<fec  A  certain  kind  of  apple  which 
would  be  quite  successful  at  Toronto 
might  be  a  failure  at  Barrie,  or  a  Burnet 
Grape  Vine  fruitful  at  Niagara  might 
be  barren  at  Ottawa.  In  view  of  the 
extended  operations  of  the  Association, 
it  might  be  in  order  for  the  Legislature 
of  Ontario  to  increase  the  grant  from 
Government.  A  sum  of  money  voted 
for  such  purposes  and  objects  as  are 
propagated  by  the  Fruit  Growers'  Asso- 
ciation of  Ontario  for  the  benefit  of  the 
people  is  money  well  spent.  I  am  of 
opinion  that  the  time  will  come  when 
such  a  grant  will  be  unnecessary. 
When  the  aims  and  objects  of  the 
Association  are  better  understood  by 
the  people  of  this  Province,  then  the 
Association  can  easily  become  self-sus- 


James  Stephen. 


Toronto. 


ELECTRO-HORTICULTURE. 

"  As  regards  the  chemical  products, 
carbonic  acid  and  nitrogenous  com- 
pounds, it  was  thought  these  would 
prove  rather  beneficial  than  otherwise 
in  furnishing  the  very  ingredients  upon 
which  plant-life  depends,  and,  further, 
that  the  constant  supply  of  pure  car- 
bonic acid  resulting  from  the  gradual 
combustion  of  the  carbon  electrodes 
might  render  a  diminution  in  the  sup- 
ply of  fresh  air  possible,  and  thus  lead 
to  economy  of  fuel.  The  plants  did 
not,  however,  take  kindly  to  those  in- 
novations in  their  mode  of  life,  and  it 
was  found  necessary  to  put  a  lantern 
of  clear  glass  round  the  light  for  the 
double  purpose  of  discharging  the  chemi- 
cal products  of  the  arc   and  of  inter- 


posing an  efiectual  screen  between  the 
arc  and  the  plants  under  its  influence. 
The  effect  of  interposing  a  mere  thin 
sheet  of  clear  glass  between  the  plants 
and  the  source  of  the  electric  light  was 
most  striking.  On  placing  such  a  sheet 
of  clear  glass  so  as  to  intercept  the 
rays  from  the  electric  light  from  a  por- 
tion only  of  a  plant,  for  instance  a  to- 
mato plant,  it  was  observed  that  in  the 
course  of  a  single  night  the  line  of  de- 
marcation was  most  distinctly  shown 
upon  the  leaves.  The  portion  of  the 
plant  under  the  direct  influence  of  the 
naked  electric  light,  though  at  a  distance 
from  it  of  nine  to  ten  feet,  was  distinctly 
shrivelled,  whereas  that  portion  under 
cover  of  the  clear  glass  continued  to 
show  a  healthy  appearance;  and  this 
line  of  demarcation  was  distinctly  visi- 
ble in  individual  leaves.  Not  only  the 
leaves,  but  the  young  stems  of  the 
plants  soon  showed  signs  of  destruction 
when  exposed  to  the  naked  electric  light, 
and  these  destructive  influences  were 
perceptible,  though  in  a  less  marked  de- 
gree, at  a  distance  of  twenty  feet  fi'om 
the  source  of  light.  A  question  here 
presents  itself  that  can  hardly  fail  to 
excite  the  interest  of  the  physiological 
botanist.  The  clear  glass  does  not  ap- 
parently intercept  any  of  the  luminous 
rays,  which  cannot  therefore  be  the 
cause  of  the  destructive  action.  Prof. 
Stokes  has  shown, however,  in  1853,  that 
the  electric  arc  is  particularly  rich  in 
highly  refrangible  invisible  rays,  and 
that  these  are  largely  absorbed  in  their 
passage  through  clear  glass.  It  there- 
fore appears  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
it  is  those  highly  refrangible  rays  be- 
yond the  visible  spectrum  that  work 
destruction  on  vegetable  cells,  thus  con- 
trasting with  the  luminous  rays  of  less 
refrangibility,  which,  on  the  contrary, 
stimulate  their  organic  action." — Dr.  C. 
W.  Siemens,  in  The  Journal  of  the 
American  Agricultural  Association  for 
October. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


CI 


ASPARAGUS  CULTUEE. 

To  judge  from  the  fact  that  we  re- 
ceive more  inquiries  about  Asparagus 
than  almost  any  other  vegetable,  it 
seems  that  although  the  mysteries  and 
secrets  which  were  formerly  considered 
necessary  for  its  cultivation  have  long 
since  been  uncovered  and  proved  to  be 
detrimental  mther  than  otherwise, 
there  still  clings  to  the  popuhir  mind 
some  mysterious  halo  connected  with 
the  idea  of  Asparagus  culture.  And 
yet  it  necessitates  less  labour  and  ex- 
pense than  almost  any  other  garden 
vegetable.  The  roots  cost  hardly  more 
than  the  seeds  for  other  vegetables 
occupying  the  same  space,  and  the  first 
expense  is  the  only  one.  While  Peas 
and  Lettuce  and  the  whole  list  of  vege- 
tables have  to  be  sown  every  year, 
Asparagus  yields  its  delicious  crop  year 
after  year,  without  replanting,  for 
generations. 

The  most  frequent  cause  of  failure 
with  Asparagus  is  too  close  planting. 
Favorable  soU  and  good  roots  are,  of 
course,  necessary  to  obtain  good  re- 
sults, but  these  can  amount  to  but 
little  unless  sufficient  space  is  given 
for  theii*  development.  A  deep,  light, 
sandy  loam  is  best,  but  with  proper 
preparation  any  garden  soil  can  be 
made  to  produce  a  good  crop.  If  so 
heavy  and  wet  that  water  stands  on 
the  ground  during  winter,  under-drain- 
ing and  deep  working  will  be  necessary 
before  planting.  On  ordinary  garden 
soil,  deep  plowing  or  spading  and  the 
working  in  of  enough  stable  manure — 
a  coating  of  four  or  five  inches  would 
not  be  too  much,  although  less  will  do 
— is  sufficient.  If  this  can  be  done 
during  the  fall  or  winter  previous  to 
planting,  so  much  the  better.  Where 
practicable,  it  is  far  better  to  plant  the 
roots  in  long  rows  on  one  side  of  the 
gaixlen  than  in  short  beds.  A  single 
row  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two 


hundred  plants,  set  eighteen  inches  or 
two  feet  apart,  will  give  an  ample  sup- 
ply for  a  family  of  half  a  dozen,  and, 
during  the  height  of  the  season,  some 
to  sell  or  give  away  to  neighbors  who 
are  not  so  fortunate  as  to  delight  in  an 
Asparagus-bed.  When  more  than  one 
row  has  to  be  planted,  they  should 
never  be  nearer  together  than  three 
feet,  and  unless  forced  into  very  nan-ow 
limits,  a  distance  of  four  feet  is  to  be 
preferred. 

After  the  rows  are  marked  out  and 
the  line  stretched,  a  ditch  with  one 
side  slanting  and  about  twelve  inches 
deep  is  dug  with  a  sharp  spade. 
Against  the  smooth  side  of  the  ditch 
the  plants  are  placed,  and  the  roots 
spread  out  so  that  the  crowns  are  four 
or  five  inches  below  the  level  of  the 
ground.  A  handful  of  soil  is  then 
drawn  over  the  roots  and  firmly 
packed  down  ;  more  soil  is  then  raked 
in,  so  as  to  fill  the  ditch  to  within  two 
or  three  inches  of  the  surface.  In  a  few 
weeks  the  sprouts  will  appear  ;  the 
gi-ound  has  then  to  be  loosened  with 
a  cultivator  or  a  hoe,  and  kept  mellow 
and  clean  during  summer.  At  each 
cultivating  some  soil  should  be  drawn 
into  the  remaining  ditch,  so  as  gradual- 
ly to  fill  it  entirely. 

Often  it  becomes  desirable  to  plant 
Asparagus  without  sufficient  prepara- 
tion having  been  given  to  the  soil.  In 
such  cases,  a  trench  may  be  dug 
eighteen  inches  deep  and  twelve  or 
fifteen  inches  wide.  Rich  stable-manure 
is  put  into  the  trench  and  trodden 
down  so  as  to  fill  it  one-half.  A  layer 
of  three  inches  of  fine  surface-soil  is 
thrown  on  the  manure  and  shaped  into 
a  ridge,  with  its  highest  point  in  the 
center  of  the  ditch  ;  on  this  ridge  the 
roots  are  placed  at  the  proper  dis- 
tances, the  rootlets  evenly  spread  out 
toward  the  sides  and  covered  with 
about  one  inch  of  soil,  which  has  to  be 


62 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURiST. 


firmly  packed  down,  especially  over  the 
lower  ends  of  thfe  roots ;  one-half  of 
the  remaining  ditch  is  then  filled  in, 
and  the  rest  not  before  the  shoots 
have  grown  several  inches  above  the 
level  of  the  ground.  The  subsequent 
cultivation  is  the  same  as  given  above. 

During  the  second  year,  no  care  is 
required  except  to  keep  the  bed  clear 
until  the  stalks  cover  the  entire  ground. 
The  tliird  year,  and  not  sooner,  the 
cutting  may  commence,  but  if  there 
are  any  roots  which  have  not  made  a 
very  strong  growth  it  is  best  not  to  cut 
from  these,  and  in  fact  as  soon  as  any 
plants  show  lack  of  vigor  the  cutting 
should  be  discontinued.  Many  Aspara- 
gus-beds are  ruined  by  too  long-con- 
tinued cutting.  We  have  found  it  a 
good  rule  to  commence  cutting  as 
soon  as  the  first  stalks  appear,  and 
stop  with  the  beginning  of  Strawberry 
picking. 

Immediately  after  the  cutting  season, 
when  the  roots  are  enfeebled  by  the 
severe  tax  of  having  produced  many 
times  more  than  their  natural  require- 
ment of  stalks,  is  the  best  time  for 
manuring ;  yet  an  application  of  fer- 
tilizers does  not  come  amiss  at  any 
time. 

The  stems,  which,  after  the  cutting 
iseason,  shoot  up  with  great  rapidity, 
should  not  be  disturbed  until  they  die 
off  naturally,  when  they  should  be  cut 
and  burned.  Salt  is,  by  general  con- 
sent, considered  a  special  fertilizer  for 
Asparagus.  We  have  during  several 
years  applied  salt  to  one  part  of  our 
bed,  and  not  to  the  other,  without  per- 
ceiving the  least  difierence  in  the  res- 
pective yields.  At  any  rate,  salt  can 
do  no  harm,  no  matter  how  liberally 
applied.  Stable-manure,  bone-meal, 
superphosphates,  and  in  fact  almost 
any  kind  of  fertilizer,  and  plenty  of  it, 
are  beneficial  to  Asparagus. — American 
Garden. 


PURE  NATIVE  WINES. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  recent  meet- 
ing of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association, 
held  in  the  city  of  Hamilton,  we  were 
invited  with  several  of  the  members 
to  visit  the  wine  vaults  of  Messrs. 
Barnes  &  Haskins.  We  were  quite 
surprised  to  find  that  this  enterprise 
had  attained  to  such  extensive  dimen- 
sions, and  that  already  there  was  a 
varied  stock  of  old  native  wines  pro- 
duced from  grapes  grown  in  their  own 
vineyards  near  to  the  city.  It  would 
seem  that  these  gentlemen  have  been 
quietly  perfecting  these  wines  for  some 
years,  until  now  they  compare  favor- 
ably with  the  best  imported,  with  this 
decided  advantage  that  they  are  pure, 
free  from  adulteration  of  every  sort, 
and  not  strengthened  by  the  addition 
of  spirits.  We  all  know  how  difficult 
it  has  long  been  to  get  unadulterated 
wines,  and  that  much  of  the  so-called 
wine  of  commerce  is  only  spirits  colored 
and  flavored  to  imitate  the  wine  whose 
name  it  bears;  and  now  that  the 
phylloxera  has  made  such  wholesale 
destruction  of  the  vineyards  of  Europe, 
and  thereby  caused  such  an  immense 
decrease  in  the  quantity  of  wine  pro- 
duced, it  will  be  next  to  impossible  to 
obtain  a  gallon  of  pure  wine  from  those 
countries.  Indeed,  the  importation  of 
American  cheap  spirits  by  the  wine 
producing  countries  of  Europe,  to  be 
manufactured  into  counterfeit  wines 
and  sent  back  for  consumption  in 
America,  has  reached  gigantic  propor- 
tions. 

We  were  assured  by  Mr.  Haskins 
that  the  chief  object  of  his  firm  is  to 
produce  wines  that  shall  be  pure  and 
free  from  all  adulteration,  made  from 
the  juice  of  the  grape  only,  and  that 
for  several  years  they  have  annually 
pressed  many  tons  of  grapes,  all  of 
which  were  of  Canadian  gi'owth.  Their 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


63 


experiments  in  wine  making  have  now 
extended  over  a  period  of  some  twenty 
years,  so  that  they  are  able  from  the 
experience  thus  gained  to  make  a  really 
good  wine  from  our  Canadian  gi*apes. 
The  wines  which  were  sampled  on  this 
lion  were  pronounced  by  those  who 
)mpetent  judges  to  bear  evidence 
iving  been  carefully  handled  and 
>ing  well  matured.  Until  recently, 
growing  and  wine  making  by  this 
has  been  a  labor  of  love ;  but  the 
lence  of  theii*  products  has  won 
bhem  such  a  favorable  reputation 
their  business  has  already  assumed 
dderable  commercial  importance, 
lis  industry  is  doubtless  but  in  its 
icy.  French  wine  makers,  driven 
the  ravages  of  the  phylloxera  to 
more  favorable  opportunities,  are 
rning  their  attention  towards  Canada 
probable  place  for  the  establish- 
^nt  of  vineyards  and  the  manufacture 
wine.  It  is  highly  probable  that 
fore  many  years  Ontario  will  produce 
pure  and  wholesome  wines  in  sufficient 
quantity  to  supply  the  markets  of  our 
Dominion,  for  we  possess  both  the  soil 
and  climate  eminently  suited  to  the 
(SUltivation  of  many  varieties  of  the 
^a.\^L\  A  wonderful  impulse  has  re- 
Otmtly  been  given  to  the  cultivation  of 
this  luscious  and  healthful  fruit  by  the 
introduction  of  new  and  choice  varie- 
ties, some  of  them  of  surpassing  excel- 
lence. The  work  thus  auspiciously 
begun  will  doubtless  go  on,  and  each 
year  will  add  some  new  variety  of  ex- 
cellence, until  we  have  native  sorts 
rivalling  in  every  valuable  requisite 
ihe  best  grapes  of  the  Old  World.  If 
le  of  the  results  shall  be  to  give  to 
ir  people  a  pure,  undi*ugged  wine  in 
ice  of  the  fabricated  wines  now  on 
5,  the  thanks  of  our  people  will  be 
[tly  due  to  these  pioneers  in  grape 
[wing  and  wine  making  who  have 
^n  the  possibility  of  making  a  pure 
'palatable  native  wine. 


THE  CULTIVATION  OF  FOREST 
TREES. 

There  is  no  more  profitable  use  to 
which  rough  ground,  that  cannot 
be  profitably  plowed,  can  be  turned 
than  to  plant  it  to  timber.  But  the 
profit  depends  greatly  upon  the  kinds 
of  timber  planted.  Some  timber  trees 
are  of  quick  growth  ;  some  grow  slowly  ; 
some  are  valuable  and  some  Avorth  little ; 
some  will  best  succeed  on  dry  soil,  and 
some  best  on  wet  ground,  and  some 
require  certain  conditions  of  climate. 
Thus,  in  swampy  places,  white  cedar, 
tamarac,  spruce  and  balsam  fir  will 
thrive  excellently,  but  the  last  men- 
tioned is  valueless  for  its  timber,  while 
the  others  are  salable  at  good  prices 
for  various  purposes.  Again,  in  some 
localities  the  otherwise  useless  white 
birch  is  in  demand  for  manufacturing 
purposes,  and  will  there  pay  better  than 
any  other  kind.  Hard  maple  of  the 
bird's  eye  or  curly  varieties  will  grow 
best  on  rocky  ground  in  a  cold  climate, 
while  black  walnut  requires  a  warmer 
climate  and  rich  soil  to  thrive  well. 
Usually  the  timbers  required  for  manu- 
facturing purposes  pay  the  best ;  such 
as  walnut,  chestnut,  cherry,  maple,  and 
birch,  which  are  in  demand  for  furni- 
ture ;  elm,  oak,  ash,  hickory,  basswood, 
and  some  others,  are  bought  by  wagon, 
carriage,  and  sleigh  makers ;  cedar, 
chestnut  and  locust  are  valuable  for 
fencing,  and  in  some  places  an  acre  of 
swamp  covered  with  white  cedar  has 
yielded  nearly  a  thousand  dollars  for 
the  fence  posts  and  rails  taken  from  it. 

Cultivated  timber  is  worth  much 
more  than  that  which  has  grown  wild, 
as  much  so  as  a  crop  of  cultivated  pota- 
toes is  more  valuable  than  one  self-sown 
and  neglected.  The  timber  grows  more 
rapidly  and  in  better  shape,  and  there 
are  more  trees  on  the  same  quantity  of 
ground.  Thus,  one  acre  of  cedars, 
planted  four  feet  apart  each  way,  would 
contain   2,722  trees.     These  trees,  so 


64 


THE   CANADIAN   HOUTICULTDRIST. 


closely  planted,  would  grow  tall  and 
straight,  and  when  four  to  six  inches 
in  diameter  might  be  thinned  to  eight 
feet  apart,  and  would  yield  about  2,000 
poles,  some  of  which  would  make  fence 
posts,  and  the  rest  hop  poles,  the  value 
averaging  at  least  twenty-five  cents  per 
tree.  This  would  produce  $500  to  the 
acre,  leaving  680  trees  to  continue  to 
grow  until  they  become  worth  fifty  cents 
to  a  dollar  per  tree  for  various  purposes, 
such  as  fencing,  vineyard  stakes,  &c.  By 
(Cultivating  the  young  trees  the  growth 
would  be  very  much  advanced,  so  that 
at  five  or  six  years  the  first  thinning 
might  bo  made,  and  a  handsome  income 
derived  from  the  plantation,  while,  by 
ordinary  natural  growth,  twenty  years 
would  probably  elapse  before  any  in- 
come would  be  realized,  and  then  only 
a  very  small  one.  It  is  the  same  with 
other  trees — at  eight  years  old  a  plan- 
tation of  chestnut  timber  has  begun  to 
pay  a  good  profit,  in  addition  to  the 
whole  cost,  by  the  thinning  of  the  trees 
for  fence  posts  and  rails.  While  the 
remaining  timber  is  growing,  the  cut 
stumps  sprout  again,  and  by  the  time 
the  former  is  ready  to  cut  the  latter  are 
prepared  to  occupy  the  ground,  and  so 
an  alternate  growth  may  be  procured 
without  any  planting.  A  grove  of  large 
chestnitt  trees,  with  about  forty  trees 
to  the  aero,  has  paid  $120  yearly  per 
acre,  for  many  years,  from  the  fruit 
alone,  which  usually  sells  at  $3  a  bushel, 
while  trees  so  grown  yield  much  larger 
crops  than  the  wild  trees ;  so  with 
special  kinds  of  timber,  such  as  white 
birch,  that  is  grown  for  making  thread 
spools  and  toothpicks,  and  hickory, 
that  is  in  demand  for  light  buggy  tires 
and  bent  furniture  work,  and  other 
timbers  required  for  furniture,  as  bass- 
wood  for  wooden  seats  for  chairs  and 
for  the  bent  dashboards  of  pleasure 
sleighs,  and  birch  and  maple  for  the 
frames  of  chairs  and  tables.  The  fact 
is,  one  can  scarcely  go.  wrong  if  he  will 


only  plant  such  timber  as  will  thrive 
in  the  soil  and  situation  he  can  devote 
to  the  culture,  and  this  point  is  the 
most  important  to  be  considered  in 
entering  into  the  enterprise.  The  first 
thing  to  be  done  is  to  prepare  jt! 
ground.  This  should  be  by 
ing,  if  possible,  or  in  some  wa 
breaking  up  the  surface.  If  no 
way  can  be  found,  this  should  be 
by  grubbing  a  place  for  the  young 
or  the  seed.  Some  kinds  are  not  easilj^ 
transplanted,  and  grow  better  when  thre 
seeds  are  sown  where  the  trees  are  to 
stand.  Chestnuts,  walnuts  and  hiekd 
ories  succeed  better  when  the  nuts  aa» 
planted  in  this  way,  and  it  is  easy  to 
plant  the  nuts  and  loosen  the  surface 
around  them  with  a  grub-hoe  or  a  sp 
if  the  ground  is  too  strong,  or  too  rouk,-, 
or  too  steep  for  plowing.  In  plantii^ 
nut-bearing  trees,  it  is  best  to  securr  n 
supply*  of  the  nuts  in  the  Fall, 
plant  them  at  once,  if  convenioiir, 
otherwise,  to  bury  the  nuts  in  the 
ground  in  a  sheltered  spot,  and  plant 
them  early  in  the  Spring.  Trees  of 
other  kinds  are  best  raised  in  ih 
nursery.  The  seeds  are  sown  in  b(  ^h. 
in  rows  eighteen  to  twenty-four  incliejj 
apart,  and  when  the  young  plants  ai^e 
a  year  old  they  are  taken  up,  the  ta* 
root  cut  off,  and  are  then  planted  in 
their  permanent  places,  in  such  a  way 
as  that  they  may  be  cultivated  as  a  cix)p 
of  corn  should  be,  if  the  ground  admits 
of  it.  Evergreens — -as  cedars,  pines, 
spruces  and  hemlocks — require  special 
care  in  the  planting.  The  seeds  should 
be  sown  in  beds  of  fine  soil  upon  the 
surface,  and  fine  mold  is  then  si: 
upon  them  until  they  are  covered 
more  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch  dee 
The  beds  are  then  shaded  with  a  scree; 
of  evergreen  boughs  and  leaves^ 
need  to  be  kept  moist  by  frequ 
watering  in  dry  weather.  Whe 
yeai-  old  the  plants  are  very  small, 
may  be  pricked  out  from  the  seed 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTTCULTURIST. 


65 


to  the  nurseiy,  and  planted  a  foot  apart 
each  way,  and  still  shaded  by  a  scr^n 
of  boughs  laid  upon  laths  or  light  poles, 
elevated  a  foot  or  two  above  the  sur- 
face. When  of  proper  size  the  young 
trees  may  be  removed  to  the  permanent 
plantation,  and  the  frequent  removal 
will  ciuise  them  to  throw  out  a  m.'iSvS  of 
fine  fibrous  roots  which  very  much 
tends  to  secure  their  safe  transplanting. 
For  these  trees  close  planting  is  advis- 
able. This  causes  a  straight,  upright 
growth  without  lower  limbs,  and  pro- 
duces the  most  valuable  kind  of  timber 
for  use  when  it  is  small.  For  bean 
poles,  hop  poles,  vineyard  stakes,  lad- 
der poles,  and  many  other  such  uses, 
straight,  smooth  spruce  or  cedar  is 
worth  much  more  than  short,  crooked 
branchy  treas  ;  indeed,  it  is  difficult  to 
say  what  use  such  trees  as  these  are 
fit  for,  excepting  firewood,  and  for  this 
they  are  worth  very  little  indeed. 

There  are  some  newly  introduced 
timber  trees  which  are  considered  very 
valuable.  One  of  these  is  a  species  of 
cataljm  {C.  Speciosa),  or  the  showy 
catalpa.  This  tree  has  a  large  leaf, 
and  produces  remarkably  large,  showy 
blossoms.  It  ia  hardy  in  the  Northern 
States,  Western  Canada,  Wisconsin, 
and  Michigan.  It  is  a  rapid  grower, 
and  the  timber  is  remarkably  durable, 
of  fine  grain,  and  takes  a  handsome 
polish.  The  ailanthus  is  another  valu- 
able timber  tree  which  is  easily  grown. 
This  tim>>er  is  very  durable,  and  is 
especially  valuable  for  railroad  ties,  as 
it  holds  (A  spike  with  great  tenacity  and 
bears  a  great  strain  without  crushing. 

The  popular  impression  is  that  one 
who  plants  timber  will  never  live  to 
reap  the  benefit.  Tliis  is  a  grand  mis- 
take. Profit,  benefit  and  advantage 
are  not  always  the  personal  securing  of 
pecuniary  results.  One  owes  something 
to  his  children,  to  his  neighbours,  and 
to  his  countrymen.  If  there  were  no 
other  advantages  secured  than  the 
2 


benefiting  of  these,  it  would  be  one's 
positive  duty  to  plant  timber  wherever 
he  could  do  it  with  advantage  or  suc- 
cess. But  a  comparatively  old  man 
may  plant  and  live  to  reaj)  the  profits 
of  his  enterprise.  Ten  or  twelve  yeai-s 
will  return  the  full  outlay  made  with 
a  larger  interest  than  could  be  secured 
as  safely  in  any  other  manner  of  invest- 
ment. Five  years  may  begin  to  return 
the  beginning  of  the  harvest,  and  once 
begun  the  harvest  is  continuous  for 
many  years.  We  have  seen  fine  saw- 
logs  cut  on  the  western  prairies,  where 
sixteen  yeais  before  not  a  bush  broke 
the  view  of  the  whole  horizon  ;  and  in 
the  Eastern  States  we  have  seen  pine 
logs  cut  on  ground  that  still  shewed 
the  traces  of  former  corn-hills  when  the 
ground  was  abandoned  to  a  natural 
growth  of  timber.  Canada  is  too  new 
a  country  yet  to  shew  many  such  ex- 
♦amplos,  but  we  have  seen  there  trees  of 
various  kinds,  fit  for  marketable  uses, 
which  had  grown  up  during  the  occu- 
pation of  the  present  owners  of  the 
land.  So  that  for  every  reason  the 
planting  of  timber  should  be  made  a 
business  by  those  who  have  conveni- 
ences for  it. — Weekly  Sta/r. 


CLIMBING  PLANTS. 

There  is  a  charm  about  these  plants 
that  alwiiys  conunends  itself  to  the  lover 
of  the  beautiful,  and  wherever  wo  see 
a  lover  of  flowers  we  are  sure  to  see 
climbing  plants,  from  those  gems  that 
greet  us  in  the  morning  (morning 
glories),  to  the  stately  cobeas,  bignonias, 
passion  vines,  or  climbing  ro.ses.  The 
number  of  sorts  that  cjin  be  grown  is 
legion,  and  many  good  things  have 
scarcely  yet  got  into  cultivation  that 
are  worthy  of  it,  amongst  which  ntay 
be  mentioned  the  Apios  tuberosa  or 
ground  nut.  This  is  a  little  gem ;  in 
July  and  August  it  is  one  mass  of 
chocolate-colored,    pea-shaped    flowers, 


ee 


THE    CANADIAN   H0ETICULTUEI8T, 


which  is  a  very  unusual  color  in  Jflowers. 
Its  leaflets  are  very  pretty  also.  It 
grows  upon  the  low  bushes  of  the 
Northern  woods,  and  often  lends  a 
beauty  to  a  hazel  bush,  which  is  rarely 
very  fine  itself.  The  Apios  has  a  tuber, 
or  a  number  of  them,  to  one  plant,  like 
a  potato,  but  smaller.  They  are  nutri- 
tious, and  would  be  a  good  substitute 
for  some  of  the  things  we  eat.  This 
can  be  grown  in  a  window,  and  would 
be  a  fine  ornament  if  the  tubers  were 
started  late  in  summer  so  as  to  throw 
its  flowering  season  late  in  the  fall,  but 
as  a  garden  climber  it  would  be  fine 
planted  amongst  tall-growing  summer 
roses,  as  it  would  do  them  no  harm,  but 
lend  a  beauty  to  them  after  they  had 
done  blooming.  Most  people  make  a 
mistake  in  trying  to  grow  climbing 
plants.  They  put  up  the  most  unna- 
tural things  for  them  to  twine  or  climb 
up,  and  they  have  to  be  tying,  nailing, 
and  otherwise  fixing  their  climbers  all 
the  time,  when,  if  they  paid  some  atten- 
tion to  these  plants  in  a  state  of  nature, 
they  would  learn  a  lesson.  A  few 
straight  sticks,  if  placed  upright  in  the 
ground  amongst  twining  plants,  will 
lead  them  up  to  other  things,  so  thA,t 
they  can  twine  and  go  higher.  A 
barbed  wire  fence  can  be  made  pretty 
if  morning  glories,  or  even  the  echino- 
cystis  (wild  cucumber),  is  sown  along 
it,  and  a  few  sticks  put  so  that  the  little 
plants  can  reach  the  wires  above  them. 
The  best  thing  for  making  a  fence  of  in 
a  garden,  to  be  ornamental,  and  for 
climbers  or  twiners  to  grow  upon,  is 
wire  netting,  with  about  four-inch 
meshes.  This  can  be  bought  for  about 
fifty  cents  a  yard,  and  yard  wide.  It 
makes  an  elegant  low  fence  if  everlast- 
ing or  sweet  peas  are  sown  along  it ;  or 
it  is  improved  by  mixing  in  the  taller 
kinds  of  nasturtiums  or  ipomea  coccinea 
(scarlet  morning  glory).  Everlasting 
or  sweet  peas  do  best  when  they  are 
sown  in  the  fall. 


The  Celastnis  scandens  (Rocksbery 
wax  work),  or  commonly  known  as  the 
bitflersweet,  is  one  of  our  best  twiners, 
and  to  find  a  fuM-grown  plant  of  it  in 
its  glory  of  fruit,  in  the  winter,  in  oiir 
woods,  is  enough  to  make  everybody 
want  to  grow  it  who  sees  it.  Occasion- 
ally one  can  be  seen  in  the  woods  north 
of  Evanston,that  the  woodman's  axe  has 
spared.  It  has  grown  up  some  trees 
twenty  feet  or  so,  and  has  spread  as 
wide.  It  will  be  loaded  with  its  bright 
red  berries,  which  is  simply  a  sight  to 
gratify  all '  lovers  of  the  beautiful,  if 
seen  when  snow  is  on  the  ground.  The 
bright,  glossy  leaves  of  the  Celastrus  are 
another  recommendation  for  growing  it 
as  a  choice  out-door  twiner.  It  grows 
abundantly  on  the  Illinois  Central  rail- 
road from  Thirty-fifth  street,  south  of 
Chicago,  but  is  rarely  seen  in  fruit  until 
we  reach  Indiana.  Our  old  stand-by, 
the  Virginia  creeper,  or  Ampelopsis,  is 
a  valuable  plant  to  put  upon  walls  or 
trellises,  but  it  finds  difi&culty  in  getting 
up  if  it  cannot  find  something  like  a 
piece  of  wire  or  nails  to  take  hold  of. 
The  Rhus  Toxicodendron,  or  poison  ivy, 
is  often  found  as  a  climber,  and  were  it 
not  for  its  poisonous  nature  it  would  be 
a  good  thing  to  plant  against  painted  or 
brick  walls,  as  it  will  cling  like  the 
English  ivy.  Its  poison  is  more  feared 
than  is  needful,  for  if  it  affects  any  part 
of  a  person's  skin  it  is  instantly  neutral- 
ized if  a  little  soil  and  spittle,  or  a  drop 
of  water,  with  a  little  ammonia  in  it,  is 
rubbed  on  the  parts  affected.  (The 
writer  has  collected  fifty  pounds  of 
leaves  at  one  time,  and  cut  tl>em  up 
fine  for  medicine,  but  did  not  suffer, 
though  all  was  done  with  the  hands 
bare.)  Hoping  the  reader  will  excuse 
him,  the  writer  wishes  to  say  that  most 
vegetable  poisons  on  the  skin,  the  sting 
of  bees  or  wasps,  can  be  instantly  ren- 
dered harmless,  or  the  pain  removed, 
by  rubbing  the  parts  affected  with  any 
kind  of  soft  mud. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTrCULTTTRTST. 


er 


The  tender  aristocratic  twiners  and 
climbers,  such  as  cobea  scandens,  eccre- 
mocarpus,  Madeira  vine,  maurandias, 
physiantlius  albens,  lophospermiiins, 
and  the  solanum  jasminoides,  are  very 
fine,  but  ought  to  be  in  conspicuous 
places,  as  they  are  choice,  and  ought  not 
to  be  subject  to  the  rough  winds  that 
we  sometimes  get  here.  These,  not  be- 
ing hardy,  have  to  be  kept  in-doors  in 
winter.  There  is  one  of  the  ipomeas 
that  blooms  at  night,  and  has  flowers  as 
large  as  a  saucer,  or  six  inches  wide. 
They  are  pure  white,  and  very  fragrant; 
it  is  called  Noctophyton,  or  Bona  Nox. 
The  seeds  of  this  will  grow  if  sown, in 
a  window  about  May  first,  and  be  ready 
to  plant  out  about  June  10th,  which  is 
early  enough.  It  grows  to  a  great 
height,  and  is  very  interesting  when  in 
flower  at  night  in  the  summer  months. 

Both  our  native  and  the  Chinese 
Wistaria  are  splendid  twining  plants, 
and  ought  to  be  grown  more  than  they 
are.  They  are  hardy  enough,  but  the 
most  climbers  that  the  writer  has  seen 
growing  about  residences  are  cheated, 
and  the  growei*s  have  "  sunk  the  ship 
for  a  bucket  of  tar."  They  have  not 
given  their  plants  a  fair  chance,  for 
most  of  these  plants,  in  a  state  of 
nature,  grow  in  good  beds  of  vegetable 
mould,  and  we  see  them  trying  to  grow 
near  Iiouses  in  the  poorest  of  stuff",  like 
trying  to  make  a  silk  purse  out  of  a 
sow's  ear.  The  Celastrus,  and  many 
vines,  will  grow  in  the  sand  and  gravel 
of  the  lake  shore,  but  see  the  same 
vines  growing  in  the  rich  woods  and 
they  will  surprise  many  who  are  fond 
of  climbing  plants. 

Our  various  park  commissioners  have 
an  opportunity  to  show  what  can  be 
done  with  twining  and  climbing  plants, 
instead  of  going  in  the  old  ruts  of  [)ut- 
ting  a  plant  or  two  in  (^ases  or  on  trel- 
lis work.  Let  them  devote  an  acre  or 
two  to  these  kinds  of  plants.  The  thing 


could  be  done  in  an  ornamental  man- 
ner, without  much  expense,  if  the 
right  spirit  was  put  in  the  matter. 
Many  of  the  residences  of  gentlemen 
would  be  made  more  attractive  if  there 
were  a  greater  number  of  twining  and 
climbing  plants  about  them.  It  is  not 
always  the  wisest  plan  to  crowd  a 
place  with  the  showy  things.  Many  in- 
teresting twiners  grow  in  the  woods 
not  a  great  distance  from  Chicago. 

Our  farmei-s  could  easily  have  lots  of 
interesting  places  about  their  homes, 
especially  near  wood  lands.  A  pile  of 
old  stumps  can  be  covered  with  creep- 
ing, twining,  or  climbing  plants,  and 
though  it  brings  nothing  back  to  the 
purse,  it  will  often  give  more  pleasure 
than  money  can  buy  to  their  wives, 
little  ones,  and  friends. 

Many  kinds  of  climbing  plants  have 
some  curious  things  about  them.  One 
of  the  Pftssifloras  opens  its  flowers  with 
loud  noise,  hence  probably  its  name. 
The  menispermum,  or  moon  seed,  has 
a  curious  shell  that  partially  covers  the 
seed.  It  looks  like  half  of  a  hazel  nut 
shell  with  the  nut  in  it.  The  ladies  of 
the  South  collect  them  to  make  rustic 
frames  for  pictures.  The  Aristolochia 
has  a  curious  pipe-like  appendage  to 
the  flower,  hence  it  is  called  Dutch- 
man's Pipe.  The  Loasa  is  covered  with 
hairs  that  will  sting  like  a  bee's  sting 
if  touched  by  any  tender  part  of  a  per- 
son's body. 

Our  climbing  roses  are  known  to 
everybody,  but  they,  strictly  speaking, 
could  not  be  called  climbing,  for  in 
their  native  state  they  have  to  work 
their  way  over  other  things,  even  their 
own  old  limbs.  They  are,  more  strictly 
speaking,  reclining  plants,  and  the 
writer  would  like  to  see  some  one  who 
would  have  the  courage  to  ti*eat  them 
as  such.  Any  one  who  has  seen  Rosa 
setigera,  or  the  wild  Michigan  rose,  so- 
called  (it  grows  in  many  parts  of  lUi- 


68 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTrCULTUEIST. 


nois),  that  our  "  Prairie  Queen  Rose  " 
was  raised  from,  must  have  been  struck 
with  its  great  beauty  when  growing  in 
a  state  of  nature.  The  writer  saw  one 
bunch  of  it  thirty  feet  through,  or  in 
diameter,  the  past  year,  with  thousands 
of  flowers  upon  it.  If  the  writer  pre- 
vails upon  some  one  to  try  and  grow 
the  Prairie  Queen  as  it  grows  wild,  he 
will  feel  thankful. 

In  concluding  this  paper,  it  is  wished 
that  some  one  may  take  pity  upon  our 
woodbines  or  honeysuckles.  Though 
not  all  climbers,  they  are  worthy  our 
attention,  and  deeper,  better  soil  than 
we  usually  see  them  in,  in  gardens. 
— A  Perambulating  Gardener,  in 
Prairie  Farmer. 


LETTUCE. 

Among  the  many  vegetables  which 
are  usually  found  growing  in  any  well- 
stocked  kitchen-garden,  there  are  none 
that  are  more  highly  prized  t];ian  one, 
two,  or  three  varieties  of  Lettuce.  This 
vegetable  is  always  in  season,  and  al- 
ways a  welcome  relish  for  those  who  are 
fond  of  the  choicer  productions  of  the 
vegetable  garden.  The  wonder  is  that 
a  vegetable  so  easily  grown,  and  one 
that  is  so  highly  valued,  is  not  more 
generally  seen  in  the  gardens  of  the 
many,  instead  of  the  few,  for  this  8eem§ 
to  be  the  case.  In  large  centers  of 
population,  the  demand  for  Lettuce  ex- 
tends the  year  through,  and  it  is  one 
of  the  leading  crojis  raised  by  market 
gardeners,  in  the  winter  under  glass, 
and  in  the  spring  and  summer  as  an 
out-of-door  crop.  In  former  years,  the 
bulk  of  the  winter  production  of  Let- 
tuce was  raised  in  hot-beds  and  cold 
frames,  for  the  winter  and  early  spring 
supply.  But  now  a  large  part  of  the 
winter  supply  is  grown  in  houses,  con- 
structed and  heated  in  the  same  way 
that  the  ordinary  greenhouses  are;  and 
this  latter  plan  is  a  great  imi)rovement 
on    the   old-style    method.     In    these 


houses  there  are  three  crops  of  Lettuce 
raised  between  the  first  of  December 
and  the  first  of  May.  This  plan  en- 
ables large  hotels  and  first-class  restau- 
rants to  have  Lettuce  on  their  bill  of 
fare  at  all  times  through  the  year.  For 
family  use,  an  early  spring  supply  can 
easily  be  raised  by  planting  in  a  hot- 
bed at  any  time  that  the  bed  is  ready, 
setting  out  sixty  plants  under  each  sash 
of  3  X  6 — the  usual  size — giving  air  in 
mild  weather,  and  frequent  waterings 
with  tepid  water.  The  market  gar- 
dener always  sows  the  seed  for  the  fol- 
lowing year's  crop  in  September.  In 
November,  these  young  plants  are 
"pricked"  out  close  together  in  an 
ordinary  cold  frame,  where  they  are 
kept  until  planting  time,  in  March  or 
April. 

The  plants  for  the  crop  of  early  cab- 
bages are  set  out  in  rows  two  feet 
apart,  and  a  row  of  lettuce  is  set  be- 
tween each  two  rows  of  cabbages.  The 
lettuce  comes  to  maturity  and  is  mar- 
keted before  the  cabbages  are  half 
grown,  and,  by  economizing  ground,  a 
large  quantity  of  produce  is  raised  from 
a  comparatively  small  surface.  When 
the  lettuce  plants  have  not  been  kept 
over  through  the  winter,  then  sow  a 
small  quantity  of  seed  in  a  hot-bed  at 
the  time  of  sowing  tomatoes,  egg-plants, 
and  other  seeds  wanted  to  stock  the 
garden.  Seeds  sown  in  this  way  may 
be  planted  in  the  open  ground,  in  the 
latter  part  of  April,  and,  unless  checke<i 
by  cold,  frosty  weather,  will  grow 
rapidly,  giving  some  for  table  use  in 
five  weeks  from  the  time  of  planting. 
Cold-frame  plants  can  be  set  in  the  open 
ground  three  or  four  weeks  earlier  than 
hot-bed  plants ;  and  to  gain  this  advan- 
tage in  time,  and  lengthen  the  season, 
it  is  a  good  j)lan  to  buy  two  or  three 
hundred  of  plants  from  some  market 
gardener  or  seed-store.  These  can  be 
planted  in  the  garden  as  soon  as  the 
ground  is  fit  to  work,  and  as  a  matter 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTTCULTURIflT. 


of  course,  will  give  lettuce  for  table  use 
four  or  five  weeks  earlier  than  hot-bed 
plants.  There  is  one  fact  that  should 
be  borne  in  mind,  that  is  :  to  grow  crisp 
and  tender  head-lettuce,  the  soil  must 
be  mellow  and  rich.  One  of  the  plea- 
sant features  of  raising  lettuce  for 
home  use  is  to  have  it  come  in  succes- 
sion, and  this  can  only  be  attained  by 
planting  at  diflfei-ent  times,  three  or 
four  weeks  apart.  The  way  to  get  early 
lettuce  has  been  briefly  outlined.  The 
later  crops  come  from  sowing  the  seed 
in  the  open  ground,  in  some  sheltered 
sfKJt,  as  early  in  the  spring  as  it  will 
do  to  work  the  ground.  The  seed-bed 
should  be  made  mellow  and  smooth, 
and  the  seed  may  be  sown  broadcast  or 
in  shallow  drills,  covered  veiy  lightly 
by  raking  over  the  bed  with  a  wooden 
rake,  drawing  the  rake  in  the  direction 
of  the  di-ills.  The  latter  method  is 
preferable,  from  the  fact  that,  while 
the  plants  are  small,  the  spaces  between 
the  rows  may  be  disturbed  with  a  hoe, 
and  the  growth  of  the  plants  hastened, 
as  well  as  the  weeds  kept  down. 

There  is  now  a  long  list  of  varieties, 
and,  unless  one  hiis  had  some  experience 
in  raising  lettuce,  it  is  rather  difficult 
to  choose  and  not  make  an  error  in  the 
choice.  Among  the  very  best  soi-ts  to 
select  for  family  use,  one  that  is  widely 
and  favorably  known  is  the  "  Early 
Curled  'Simpson."  This  lettuce  ii  a 
favorite  with  market  gardeners,  and  is 
extensively  grown  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York  for  that  market.  When 
planted  on  rich  ground  it  grows  into 
a  large  head,  that  on  the  table  will  be 
found  crisp,  tender  and  of  good  quality. 
Another  and  very  exc^illent  variety  is 
the  "  Hanson  "  lettuce,  which  groww  to 
a  largo  size,  forming  a  solid  head,  crisp 
and  of  fine  flavor,  and  very  popular 
among  the  consumers.  "  Tennis  Ball," 
'*  Boston  Market,"  "  Early  Butter,"  and 
other  sorts,  are  i)ri2ed  on  the  table, 
when  grown  on  ground  that  is  in  good 


heart.  There  is  neither  profit  nor 
pleasure  in  attempting  to  grow  lettuce 
on  poor,  thin  soil.  In  planting  in  the 
garden,  set  the  lettuce  one  foot  apart 
each  way,  and  then  keep  the  ground 
mellow  and  free  from  weeds — Ame'*"ican 
Garden. 


GAS  TAR  WATER  FOR  INSECTS. 

BV   D.    M.    DEWKY,    BOCHE8TEB,    K.  Y 

In  conversation  to-day  with  a  farmer 
mend,  I  got  from  him  what  I  think 
every  planter  should  know.  As  he  is 
a  reliable  man,  I  give  you  his  state- 
ment, believing  you  will  confer  a  favor 
on  many  of  your  readers  by  publish- 
ing it : 

Gas  Tar  Water  Sure  Death  to  Potato 
Bugs.  Mr.  S.  R.  Hart,  of  Brighton, 
N.  Y.,  near  Rochester,  has  for  two 
years  pa«t  used  on  his  potato  vines 
water  which  has  been  impregnated 
with  gas  tar.  One  gallon  of  gas  tar  in 
a  tifb,  and  fill  the  tub  with  water ;  stir 
it  up  well,  and  let  the  tar  settle.  Then 
sprinkle  the  vines  with  the  water  from 
a  sprinkling  pot.  This  has  proven 
more  effective  than  Paris  green.  He 
has  also  tried  it  on  currant  bushes,  and 
finds  it  equally  effective.  It  is  inex- 
pensive and  perfectly  reliable,  and  will 
prove  equally  sure  deuth  to  insects  of 
every  kind  on  trees.  This  gas  tar  can 
be  had  at  75  cents  a  gallon,  and  one 
gallon  would  suffice  for  many  aores  of 
})otatoes  or  a  nursery  for  the  season. 
I  give  you  this  information  believing 
your  readers  will  find  it  a  gi*eat  de- 
sideratum in  these  days  of  insect  peste. 

It  hji8  long  been  known  that  tar  ap- 
plied to  trees  destroys  the  worms ;  but 
until  now  there  has  been  no  method  of 
applyiuf];  it  to  shrubbery  or  vines.  Gas 
tjir  possesses  chemical  ])roj)erties  not 
found  in  ordinary  tar.  Water,  strongly 
impregnated  with  gas  tjir,  is  found  to 
be  sure  <1">0>  fn  injects,  worms  and 
bugs. 


ro 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


FAMILY  SUPPLIES  OF  FRUIT. 

The  Country  Gentleman  replies  to 
those  who  wish  to  know  how  they  can 
obtain  an  early  supply  of  fruits  for 
their  families,  and  for  what  portion  of 
the  year  these  sujDplies  may  be  obtained 
by  means  of  a  suitable  selection,  as  fol- 
lows : — 

In  the  Northern  States,  the  first 
ripening  sorts  begin  early  in  June  with 
strawberries.  Of  these  there  will  be  a 
dijfference  of  about  a  month  in  theii' 
season,  the  earliest  productive  sorts 
being  the  old  Wilson,  and  the  newer 
Crescent,  Duncan,  and  not  always  pro- 
ductive Crystal  City.  These  are  fol- 
lowed by  the  Cumberland,  Seth  Boy- 
den,  Sharpless,  Kentucky,  &c.  As  far 
north  as  New  York  City,  these  different 
sorts  should  give  a  good  supply  every 
day  for  the  table,  from  the  first  of  June 
until  early  in  July,  with  beds  well  cul- 
tivated, covering  three  or  four  square 
rods  of  ground.  Half  a  dozen  or  more 
of  cherry  trees  will  begin  to  furnish 
ripe  fruit  from  the  middle  of  June  till 
the  middle  of  July,  if  they  can  only  be 
allowed  to  remain  on  the  trees  till  ripe — 
which,  between  the  birds  and  the  family, 
is  rarely  done.  Early  Purple  G-uigne 
and  Belle  d'Orleans  are  the  earliest; 
then  Coe's  Transparent,  Black  Tartarian 
and  Bockport;  and  later  the  Dukes  and 
Morellos.  Early  Bichmond  is  generally 
reckoned  an  early  sort,  but  if  allowed 
to  hang  a  month  it  is  greatly  improved. 

Then  come  the  currants  and  goose- 
berries, the  raspberries,  and  blackber- 
ries ;  but  before  these  are  all  ripe  the 
early  pears  and  apples  are  on  hand,  and, 
where  they  will  succeed,  those  delicious 
early  fruits,  the  apricots.  The  first 
peaches  and  plums  are  not  much  behind, 
jtnd  the  first  grapes  ripen  before  the  end 
of  summer. 

Plenty  of  delicious  fruits  run  through 
the  entire  autumn.  We  have  peaches 
and  plums  till  frost ;  and  apples,  pears 


and  grapes  throughout.  There  are  so 
many  sorts,  and  of  such  ranging  quality 
and  character  that  every  person  may  be 
suited.  Grapes  and  pears  may  be  kept 
through  winter,  and  apples  into  June. 
No  one  who  has  an  acre  or  two  of  land 
to  plant  need  be  without  a  plentiful 
supply  for  a  single  day  in  the  year.  He 
will  need,  however,  to  observe  three  re- 
quisites— first,  to  make  a  good  selection 
of  sorts  for  his  particular  locality,  much 
of  which  may  be  learned  from  his  suc- 
cessful or  experienced  neighbours,  if  he 
has  any;  secondly,  to  give  his  garden 
and  orchard  the  right  cultivation ;  and 
thirdly,  and  very  important,  to  have  a 
good,  cool  fruit  room  to  keep  his  winter 
sorts  and  long  keepers  in.  Carelessly 
thrown  into  a  common  cellar,  apples 
may  all  rot  by  the  first  of  April ;  in  a 
carefully  attended  fruit  room  (without 
ice)  we  have  kept  such  common  sorts 
as  the  Baldwin  fresh  into  July. 

It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  while  it 
is  necessary  for  profitable  marketing  on 
an  extensive  scale,  to  select  the  most  fa- 
vorable localities  for  soil,  aspect  and 
other  influences  which  shall  gi^^e  uni- 
formly good  crops,  a  good  home-garden 
may  be  had  almost  anywhere,  which 
will  give  satisfactory  returns,  with  a 
proper  selection  of  kinds  adapted  to  it, 
and  with  good  cultivation.  It  is  always 
safest  to  choose  dry  upland,  and  to 
avoid  low  or  mucky  soil.  If  necessary, 
it  must  be  well  underdrained,  and  be- 
fore planting,  especially  for  small  fruits, 
it  should  be  made  mellow  by  previous 
cultivation,  in  order  that  the  young 
plants  may  be  easily  set  and  kept  clean. 
Some  enriching  by  manure  is  nearly  al- 
ways essential,  but  at  least  a  part  or  the 
main  portion  may  be  applied  afterwards 
by  successive  autumnal  top-dressings. 
For  standard  fruit  trees,  this  top-dress- 
ing is  better  than  trying  to  make  the 
ground  very  rich  on  the  start,  a  clean 
and  mellow  surface  being  the  great  re- 
quisite for  young  or  newly  set  trees, 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


71 


In  order  to  facilitate  frequent  culti- 
vation afte*  the  plants  and  trees  are  set 
out,  everything  should  be  placed  in  rows 
so  as  to  admit  the  passage  of  a  horse  in 
doing  the  work.  There  is  nothing  more 
essential  to  success  with  small  fruits,  and 
with  large  fruits,  while  the  trees  are 
young,  than  constant  clean  mellow  cul- 
tivation. If  the  work  is  to  be  all  done 
by  hand  labor,  it  will  be  sure  to  be  neg- 
lected, and  a  hard  crusted  and  weedy 
surface  will  result  in  nearly  total  failure. 
If  annual  manuring  is  given  in  autumn, 
crops  of  vegetables  may  be  taken  from 
among  the  larger  trees. 

The  inquiry  will  natui*ally  be  sug- 
gested by  occupants  of  new  places  : 
"How  many  years  must  I  wait  before  I 
can  have  plenty  of  fruit  T  Under  the 
usual  management  you  may  have  a  good 
supply  of  strawberries  next  year  from 
plants  set  out  this  spring,  and  rasp- 
berries will  begin  to  bear  next  year, 
and  more  freely  a  year  later.  Currants 
and  gooseberries  will  require  about  the 
same  length  of  time,  and  grapes  will 
come  into  moderate  bearing  nearly  as 
soon.  Dwarf  pears  will  begin  to  fur- 
nish a  fair  supply  the  third  year,  if  you 
select  early  bearers.  Even  standards 
of  some  sorts  will  be  nearly  as  soon 
in  coming  into  bearing — such,  for  in- 
stance, as  the  Bartlett,  Washington, 
Summer  Doyenne,  &c.  Much  will 
depend  on  the  treatment  they  receive. 


SEEDING   ORCHARDS. 

As  to  the  treatment  of  Apple  or- 
chards, we  know  that  when  they  are 
established  on  light  gravelly  or  sandy 
soils  they  require  periodical  applica- 
tions of  manure,  that  the  ground 
should  also  be  kept  loose  by  shallow 
plowing,  and  afterward  to  be  surface- 
stirred  with  the  harrow  or  cultivator — 
all  of  which  is  re(piisite  to  maintain  a 
proper  degree  of  fertility. 


We  have  learned  that  to  sow  grass 
on  the  surface  of  the  orchard  planted 
in  such  soils  is  simply  the  first  step 
toward  the  destruction  of  the  trees,  so 
far  as  regards  their  fruit-bearing  capa- 
cities. Of  course,  we  are  now  con- 
sidering ordinary  condition  and  man- 
agement, for  it  is  quite  practical, 
merely  considering  it  as  a  question  of 
possibility,  to  so  enrich  the  surface  of 
even  the  liglitest  of  soils  as  to  obviate 
necessity  of  further  surface  culture. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  may  imagine 
the  case  of  an  orchard  placed  in  a  con- 
dition of  things  very  much  the  reverse 
of  the  one  we  have  considered.  In  this 
the  soil  is  a  strong,  rich  loam,  perhaps 
with  a  preponderance  of  clay  in  its 
composition,  and  the  trees  are  growing 
vigorously,  and  for  some  years  have 
been  making  a  great  quantity  of  wood 
and  but  very  little  fruit. 

When  a  case  of  this  kind  occurs,  we 
know  that  in  order  to  produce  fruitful- 
ness  we  must,  by  some  means,  weaken 
the  growth,  and  the  most  available 
means,  is  to  cover  the  orchards  with 
grass.  This  will  have  a  tendency  to 
check  the  growth  of  the  shootc,  and  as 
a  consequence  favor  the  production  of 
fruit.  This  is  in  accordance  with  the 
general  law  that  "  whatever  tends  to 
weaken  a  plant  favors  the  production 
of  flowers  and  fruit,  and  whatever  tends 
to  the  luxuriant  growth  of  leaves  and 
branches  is  unfavorable  to  the  produc- 
tion of  fruit." 

Therefore  it  is  that  the  question  as 
to  whether  orchai-ds  should  be  kept  in 
grass  or  cultivated  like  a  corn-field 
cannot  be  answered  with  regard  to 
orchards  in  general  ;  but  when  the 
question  is  applied  to  any  particular 
orchard  it  admits  of  a  definite  answer, 
the  condition  of  the  trees  (and  soil) 
indicating  what  the  answer  will  be. — 
William  Saunders,  be/ore  the  Foto- 
mac  Fruit-Grower 8. 


72 


THE   OiiNADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


ADVENTURES  OF  AN  ACORN.*  • 

The  following  lines  were  written  by  a 
Scotch  horticulturist,  to  illustrate  how  curi- 
ously seeds  are  sometimes  scattered  over  the 
earth.  The  story  in  this  case  is  literally 
true,  and  what  makes  the  circumstance  the 
more  interesting  to  Scotch  botanists,  is  the 
fact  that  the  oak  thus  strangely  introduced 
into  that  country  is  of  a  kind  different  from 
any  hitherto  growing  there  :- 

In  the  far  off  wilds  of  Canadian  woods, 

Where  the  red  man  lives  and  dies— 
Where  the  wild  turkey  hatches  and  rears  her  broods 

Unseen  to  the  white  man's  eyes — 
There  fell  to  the  shot  of  a  gun  one  day, 

To  the  sportsman  a  glorious  prize, 
A  turkey,  whose  flight  lay  over  his  way, 

A  bird  of  a  royal  size. 

This  turkey  was  sent  to  old  Scotia's  shore, 

As  a  Christmas  treat  to  a  brother. 
And  never  on  Christmas  board  before. 

Had  the  Scotsman  seen  such  another. 
And  deep  in  the  "  crop  "  of  the  bird  he  fotmd 

(Now  here  is  the  pith  of  the  story) 
A  seed  of  a  tree  whose  name  is  a  sound 

Of  renown  in  old  England's  glory. 

The  acorn  was  planted  in  mother  earth. 

And  soon  to  new  life  awoke, 
And  fresh  from  the  ground  there  Issued  forth 

A  sapling  of  royal  oak. 
Now  wise  men  all,  I  pray  you  please, 

To  mark  the  curious  ways 
By  which  the  seeds  of  plants  and  ti'ees 

Are  scattered  in  our  days. 


*  These  lines,  by  "  Patriarch  Peter  "  penned, 
My  less  romantic  tale  amend.  W.  M. 

Discovery  op  Extensive  Pine  For- 
ests.— The  recent  exploration  party  of 
Colonel  Mercer  up  the  Spanish  River,  in 
the  province  of  Ontario,  is  said  to  have 
discovered  vast  pine  forests,  containing 
upward  of  24,000,000,000  feet  of  a  supe- 
rior quality  of  pine  lumber,  with  facilities 
for  getting  it  to  market  equal  to  the  best. 

Keeping  Apples. — G.  F.  Newton,  in  a 
paper  read  before  the  Ohio  Horticultural 
Society,  describes  an  experiment  in  keep- 
ing apples,  by  which  he  had  Tompkins 
King  with  fresh  flavor  and  bright  color  in 
April,  and  Rambo  and  Peck's  Pleasant  in 
July.  The  secret  of  success  was  a  con- 
stant low  temperature.  They  were 
gathered  in  September,  heaped  on  the 
bam  floor  till  cold  weather,  carefully  as- 
sorted, barreled,  and  kept  in  a  cold  cellar. 
The  uniformly  low  temperature  was  pre- 
served by  opening  the  ventilators  of  the 
fruit-room  in  cold,  and  closing  them  in 
warmer  weather. — Country  Gentleman. 


Shortenino-in  the  Peach.  —  Those 
who  have  made  an  actual  trial  with  short- 
ening in  the  shoots  of  the  p^ach,  do  not 
find  it  to  require  the  amount  of  labor 
which  the  inexperienced  suppose  neces- 
sary. A.  C.  Younglove,  of  Vine  Valley, 
N.  Y. ,  shortens  back  his  orchard  of  600 
trees,  performing  the  work  expeditiously, 
and  he  finds  it  profitable,  greatly  improv- 
ing the  fruit.  In  answer  to  the  frequent 
inquiry  as  to  the  best  time  for  performing 
the  work,  late  summer  and  early  spring 
may  be  given.  If  done  late  in  autumn 
the  trees  are  made  tenderer  for  with- 
standing the  cold  winter.  If  done  be- 
fore the  leaves  drop  and  while  there  is 
still  some  growth,  the  wood  ripens  well 
and  is  prepared  for  the  cold.  — Country 
Gentleman. 

Preserving  and  Marketing — Over 
Production. — If  any  one  will  take  the 
trouble  to  look  into  the  facts  about  the 
comparative  price  of  the  different  kinds  of 
fruit  grown  in  this  country  they  will  see 
how  foolish  is  the  idea  that  the  country  is 
in  danger  of  being  overstocked.  The  price 
of  apples,  peaches,  pears,  strawberries, 
grapes,  etc.,  for  forty  years,  dividing 
that  time  into  four  periods  of  ten  years 
each,  and  statistics  show  that  on  an  aver- 
age the  price  of  fruit  has  constantly  in- 
creased. In  strawberries  and  other  small 
fruits  this  has  been  very  marked.  Pro- 
duction has  grown  rapidly  in  that  time, 
but  prices  have  constantly  advanced.  Oc- 
casionally we  have  a  year  of  great  abun- 
dance of  apples,  and  prices  are  low.  But 
farmers  generally  do  not  seem  to  have 
realized  yet  that  the  surplus  in  apples  may 
be  very  profitably  utilized  in  fattening 
both  hogs  and  cattle.  The  best  of  meat 
may  be  made  with  a  little  com  and  plenty 
of  apple  food.  In  older  countries  it  is 
well  known  that  this  kind  of  feed  cooked 
and  mixed  'with  ground  grain  is  very 
healthful  for  all  kinds  of  stock,  and  it  is 
doubted  that  hogs  would  have  the  disease 
known  as  cholera  if  fed  this  kind  of  ration 
frequently.  So  we  see  that  in  years  of 
abundance  the  siu'plus  fruit,  •  when  the 
price  is  low,  may  be  profitably  fed  to 
stock,  and  thus  we  may  realize  a  good 
price  for  it.  There  is  no  danger  of  plant- 
ing too  many  orchards,  or  of  getting  too 
much  fruit. — Indiana  Farmer. 


PEINTKD  AT  THB  STBAM  PRESS  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  COPP,  OLARK  ft  CO.,  OOLBORNE  STREET,  TORONTO. 


•KRAPIA' 


THE 


VOL.  v.] 


APRIL,  1882. 


[No.  4. 


THE    GIN 

The  beautiful  group  of  flowers  with 
which  this  number  is  adorned  will  give 
to  our  readers  a  very  good  representa- 
tion of  the  form  and  coloring  of  these 
very  showy  ornaments  of  the  gi'een- 
house.  There  is  nothing  more  gay  than 
a  fine  collection  of  Cinerarias,  whether 
massed  together  so  as  to  display  their 
striking  contrasts  of  color,  or  distri- 
buted among  other  plants  to  give  an 
air  of  cheerfulness  to  the  whole.  A 
well  grown  plant  when  in  bloom  makes 
a  most  elegant  subject  for  dinner-table 
decoration,  while  its  hawthorn-like  fra- 
grance fills  the  room  with  most  agree- 
able perfume. 

These  lovely  flowers  can  be  had  in 
bloom  from  early  in  February  to  the 
middle  of  April,  though  usually  they 
are  in  the  fulness  of  their  glory  during 
the  month  of  March.  They  are  easily 
propagated  from  seed,  which  should  be 
sown  in  light  sandy  soil,  in  pots  or 
boxes.  The  soil  can  be  best  prepared 
by  using  one  half  good  loam,  and  the 
other  half  a  mixture  of  leaf  mould  and 
sand  in  equal  parts,  the  whole  having 
been  run  through  a  fine  sieve.  Fill 
the  pot  or  box  with  the  soil,  having 
first  provided  for  drainage,  and  moisten 


ERARIA. 

it  with  water  from  a  very  fine  rose* 
Then  sow  the  seed  upon  the  surface, 
sift  over  it  the  slightest  covering  of 
soil,  and  press  it  firmly  with  the  bot- 
tom of  a  pot  so  that  the  seeds  may  be 
in  close  contact  with  the  earth.  Cover 
the  pot  with  a  pane  of  glass  and  set  it 
in  the  shade,  that  is,  where  the  direct 
rays  of  the  sun  will  not  fall  upon  it. 
We  usually  sow  the  seed  the  last  of 
June  or  first  of  July. 

As  soon  as  the  plants  are  well  up,, 
the  pane  of  glass  should  be  removed 
and  the  plants  exposed  fully  to  the 
light,  but  not  to  the  direct  rays  of  the^ 
sun.  When  the  first  rough  leaves  ap- 
pear, the  little  plants  should  be  care- 
fully pricked  out  into  thumb  pots  filled 
with  soil  such  as  has  been  already  de- 
scribed. They  can  remain  in  these 
little  pots  until  the  roots  have  filled 
them,  when  they  should  be  shifted  into 
three-inch  pots.  If  more  convenient 
to  use  boxes  than  thumb  pots,  they 
may  be  pricked  out  into  boxes,  setting 
them  about  an  inch  apart,  and  allow 
them  to  remain  until  they  grow  so  aa. 
to  touch  each  other. 

When  they  are  shifted  into  the  three- 
inch  pots^the  soil  should  be  made  richer 


74 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


than  that  described,  by  lessening  the 
quantity  of  sand,  using  only  half  as 
much,  and  supplying  the  deficiency 
with  well  rotted  sods.  When  these 
pots  are  filled  with  roots,  the  plants 
should  be  again  shifted,  and  as  they 
increase  in  size  and  fill  the  j)ots  with 
roots,  they  should  be  shifted  into  larger 
pots  until  you  have  them  in  as  large 
pots  as  you  desire  :  a  six-inch  pot  will 
be  large  enough.  At  each  shift  make 
the  soil  richer  and  rougher,  using  more 
manure  that  has  been  most  thoroughly 
rotted  and  turfy  loam.  When  the 
plants  become  established  in  the  largest 
pots  it  is  intended  they  shall  occupy, 
they  should  be  freely  watered  with 
manure  water,  applying  it  until  the 
flowers  begin  to  open,  then  withhold  it 
entirely  and  use  only  soft  water.  These 
plants  require  an  abundant  supply  of 
water  during  their  entire  season  of 
growth,  and  to  be  kept  in  a  cool  place, 
where  they  can  have  plenty  of  air  and 
light,  but  very  little  sun.  The  best 
place  is  on  the  north  side  of  some 
building,  sheltered  from  drying  winds, 
but  not  under  the  shade  of  trees.  In 
watering,  sprinkle  with  a  fine  water- 
pot  rose  in  the  morning  and  evening, 
and  shelter  them  from  heavy  rains. 

When  it  becomes  necessary  to  take 
them  in  on  account  of  danger  from 
frost,  put  them  where  they  will  have 
plenty  of  light  and  air,  and  only  the 
morning  and  evening  sun,  keeping  the 
temperature  as  low  as  possible,  so  long 
as  it  does  not  fall  below  thirty-five  de- 
grees ;  and  never  let  it  rise  above  fifty. 
It  will  now  be  especially  necessary  to 
bo  on  the  watch  for  green  fly,  to  which 


they  are  very  subject.  In  the  green- 
house they  can  be  fumigated  with  cold 
tobacco-smoke,  which  should  be  done 
frequently,  so  as  to  prevent  the  green 
fly  from  getting  a  lodgment.  It  is 
important  to  have  the  smoke  cold,  for 
hot  smoke  is  injurious  to  the  plants. 

It  is  not  easy  to  grow  Cinerarias  as 
window  plants  unless  the  window  be 
enclosed  with  glass  doors  from  the  heat 
and  dryness  of  the  room.  In  such  an 
enclosed  window  the  temperature  and 
moisture  can  be  regulated  to  suit  their 
requirements.  But  it  may  not  be  con- 
venient to  fumigate  with  tobacco,  in 
which  case  it  will  be  necessary  to  dip 
the  plants  in  water  in  which  tobacco 
has  been  steeped  until  the  liquid  is  of 
a  light  brown  color.  This  can  be  done 
by  placing  the  hand  over  the  earth 
while  the  plant  is  inverted  and  plunged 
into  the  liquid;  do  not  wet  the  soil 
with  the  tobacco  water,  but  let  the 
plant  drip  thoroughly  before  placing  it 
again  in  an  upright  position. 

When  they  have  done  blooming,  the 
plants  may  be  thrown  out  on  the  rub- 
bish heap,  unless  there  be  some  so  very 
beautiful  that  you  are  anxious  to  pre- 
serve them.  In  that  case  cut  the  plant 
back  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  pot, 
place  it  in  some  cool,  shady  place,  see 
that  it  does  not  sufier  from  lack  of 
water,  and  when  it  has  sprouted  again, 
usually  in  the  month  of  August,  take 
it  out  of  the  pot,  pull  off"  the  rooted 
sprouts,  and  pot  each  singly  in  a  small 
pot,  and  treat  them  in  the  same  way 
as  if  they  were  seedlings. 

We  trust  that  these  directions  for 
growing  Cinerarias  will  be  easily  un- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


75 


derstood,  and  that  many  of  the  readers 
of  the  Canadian  Hortieidturiat  will 
have  the  pleasure  of  growing  plants 
having  heads  of  bloom  two  feet  across, 
and  the  individual  flowers  measuring 
two  inches  and  over  in  diameter.  The 
magnificent  display  will  well  reward 
their  care. 


QUESTION  DRAWER. 

For  how  many  years  are  young  fruit 
trees  improved  by  being  transplanted, 
and  how  often  ? 

Also,  why  are  nectarines  so  difficult 
to  raise  ?     We  never  see  any  here. 

W.  W.  R. 

The  improvement  of  young  trees  by 
transplanting  consists  in  causing  them 
thereby  to  throw  out  a  large  number 
of  roots  within  a  given  space,  so  that 
when  they  attain  to  the  size  required 
for  orchard  planting  they  may  be  so 
well  furnished  with  small  fibrous  feed- 
ing roots  that  they  will  not  feel  the  re- 
moval from  the  nursery  row  to  the 
orchard.  An  apple  tree  is  taken  from 
the  seed  bed  when  it  is  two  years  old, 
the  tap  root  cut  ofi*,  then  grafted,  and 
planted  in  the  nursery  row.  When  it 
has  grown  two  years  in  the  nursery  row, 
it  would  greatly  increase  the  number  of 
small  roots  near  the  trunk  if  it  were 
again  taken  up,  the  large  roots  shorten- 
ed, and  planted  once  more  in  nursery 
row  and  allowed  to  remain  two  years 
longer  before  being  planted  in  the  or- 
chard. There  is  nothing  to  be  gained 
by  again  transplanting  the  tree.  Ever- 
green trees  are  benefited  by  being  trans- 
planted a  greater  number  of  times,  be- 
cause their  comparative  slower  growth 
gives  better  opportunity,  and  their 
leaves  being  not  deciduous  there  is  the 
greater  necessity. 

There  is  no  greater  difficulty  in  grow- 
ing nectaiinea  than  plums,  save  that 


the  tree  is  no  more  hardy  than  a  peach 
tree,  hence  requires  a  mild  climate. 


MULBERRIES. 

Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  give 
me  all  the  information  you  can  about 
the  mulberry  tree,  as  to  its  hardiness 
(1),  productiveness  (2),  and  quality  of 
fruit  (3)  1  Jesse  Weldon. 

Oakwood. 

1.  The  Black  or  English  Mulberry 
is  not  perfectly  hardy  in  all  parts  of 
Ontario  It  will  do  best  where  the 
Peach  is  successfully  cultivated.  The 
new  American  Mulberry  promises  to 
be  much  more  hardy.  The  Russian 
Mulberry  should  be  hardy  as  far  north 
as  Sault  Ste.  Marie. 

2.  All  varieties  are  exceedingly  pro- 
ductive. 

3.  There  is  some  dijGference  in  the 
flavor  of  the  different  sorts;  but  the 
three  sorts  named  above  are  highly 
esteemed  for  fine  quality. 


SAUNDERS'  RASPBERRY. 

I  beg  to  report  my  success  with  the 
Saunders  Raspberry,  received  in  the 
spring  of  1880.  It  threw  out  four  or 
five  long,  spindling  shoots,  four  or  five 
feet  long,  that  I  laid  in  a  circle  around 
the  plant.  One  or  two  took  root  from 
the  tip.  However,  I  let  them  lay,  and 
last  spring  it  leafed  out  and  blossomed 
finely  and  fruit  set.  I  protected  them 
from  birds  as  much  as  possible.  Fruit 
large  and  ripe.  First  picking,  one 
quart  of  fine  berries ;  picked  twice 
more,  in  all  about  two  quarts.  I  think 
very  highly  of  the  berry  on  account  of 
its  fine  size  and  immense  crop.  I  am 
propagating  all  I  can,  and  intend  to 
plant  freely,  as  1  think  it  will  be  one 
of  our  best  paying  berries.  Soil,  high 
dry  sand.  C,  H.  Bigoar. 

Drummondville. 


76 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


"BUHACH"  ON  CABBAGES. 

A  REMEDY   FOB  THE   CABBAGE   BUTTERFLY. 

Last  summer  I  recommended  a  friend 
of  mine  who  grows  cabbages  on  a  large 
scale,  and  who  has  been  a  great  loser 
by  the  cabbage  worm,  to  try  the  Cali- 
fornian  insect  powder,  '' Buhach."  I 
obtained  some  for  him  from  Mr.  Miles, 
of  Stockton,  Cal.,  and,  thinking  a  few 
notes  of  the  results  may  be  useful  and 
interesting  to  your  readers,  I  send  them 
to  you. 

My  friend  was  growing  about  3,000 
head  of  cabbages,  so  that  their  protec- 
tion was  an  object  of  considerable  im- 
portance to  him.  In  the  beginning  of 
September  the  plants  were  much  in- 
jured, some  of  them  nearly  destroyed. 
The  first  application  of  the  powder  was 
then  made  in  the  form  of  a  mixture  of 
ten  parts  of  flour  to  one  of  the  Buhach. 
This  was  found  to  be  rather  too  weak. 
Its  effects  were  evident  on  those  worms 
which  were  touched  at  the  moment  of 
application,  but  many  of  those  not  ac- 
tually so  touched  were  not  injured. 
The  experiment  was  made  on  800 
plants,  and  the  time  required  was  two 
hours. 

A  second  application  was  made  on 
September  7th  to  1,000  plants  in  two 
h,ours.  This  time  a  mixture  of  one 
part  of  Buhach  to  eight  parts  of  flour 
was  employed,  and  the  effect  was  much 
more  lasting  and  complete. 

On  September  21st  a  third  applica- 
tion was  made  to  1,000  plants,  also 
requiring  two  hours.  This  time  a  mix- 
ture of  one  part  of  Buhach  to  eight 
parts*  of  lime  was  employed.  This  was 
found  the  most  successful  compound  of 
all.  The  lime  formed  a  better  dust- 
spray  than  the  flour,  and  adhered  to 
the  plants  equally  well.  The  plants 
all  formed  new  heads,  ami  an  excellent 
crop  was  the  result. 

It  was,  of  course,  not  necessary  to 
do  more  than  to  poison  the  outer  rows 


of  the  patch.  In  so  large  a  number 
the  inner  portion  is  not  visited  by  the 
butterfly,  which  rests  upon  the  plants 
which  it  first  meets. 

The  three  applications  mentioned 
above  were  consequently  made  upon 
the  outer  rows  entirely,  some  of  the 
plants  receiving  two  and  some  three 
dustings. 

My  friend  informs  me  that  he  con- 
siders himself  a  gainer  by  the  presence 
of  the  worm  this  year,  as  its  ravages 
threw  the  heading  of  the  cabbages  later 
in  the  season,  and  they  were  not  fully 
matured  until  the  cold  weather  set  in. 
He  was  therefore  at  no  trouble  or  ex- 
pense in  preserving  them  through  the 
last  few  warm  weeks  of  autumn. 

E.  W.  Claypole. 
YeUow  Springs,  Ohio. 

P.S. — I  sent  you  some  time  ago  a 
few  notes  on  my  treatment  of  the  po- 
tato beetle  last  summer  with  London 
purple,  which  appeared  in  your  num- 
ber for  September.  In  order  to  make 
that  account  complete,  I  will  add  that 
as  a  consequence  of  preserving  the  tops 
from  injury,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  dig- 
ging from  an  acre  of  gi'ound  more  than 
eighty  bushels  of  good,  large  potatoes, 
worth  at  the  time  $1  25  or  $1  30  a 
bushel.  '  This  was  in  spite  of  the  in- 
tense drought,  which  destroyed  almost 
all  the  potatoes  in  this  district.  Many 
of  my  neighbors,  acting  towards  the 
beetle  on  the  principle  of  "  live  and  let 
live,"  did  not  get  more  than  ten,  or  in 
some  cases  five  bushels  of  small  pota- 
toes from  the  same  quantity  of  land. 
Not  a  few  failed  to  obtain  even  their 
seed. 

I  may  add  to  the  experience  of  my 
friend  given  above,  that  in  my  own 
garden  I  find  the  poison  dust  of  Lon- 
don purple  much  more  effective  and 
much  easier  of  application  to  cabbages 
in  the  early  stages;  but,  in  spite  of 
many  assertions  to  the  contrary  th::t 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTI0ULTUKI6T. 


77 


have  appeared  in  print,  I  hold  to  the 
opinion  that  its  use  after  the  cabbages 
have  begun  to  head  would  be  very- 
hazardous. 


STRAWBERRIES— WHAT    TO    PLANT 
AND  HOW  TO  GO  ABOUT  IT. 

BY  T.  C  ROBINSON,  OWEN  SOUND. 

Winter  is  the  time  to  plan,  especially 
for  the  fruit  garden.  Many  persons 
buy  a  few  quarts  of  inferior  berries, 
and  do  without  a  great  many  they  would 
like  to  have,  for  want  of  planning  at 
the  right  time  ;  and  the  planning  is  put 
off  because  a  knowledge  of  the  best 
varieties  and  the  easiness  and  cheapness 
of  raising  them  is  not  realized. 

Any  man  who  can  look  back  on  the 
strawberry  bed  in  the  home  garden, 
when  he  was  a  boy,  and  the  pleasant 
memories  that  cluster  around  it,  will 
need  little  urging  to  add  this  attraction 
to  his  children's  love  of  home,  even 
with  the  memory  of  the  trouble  of  hoe- 
ing and  weeding  in  his  mind.  But  if 
it  can  be  shown  that  hoeing  and  weed- 
ing can  be  reduced  to  a  tithe  of  what 
they  were  under  the  old  system  of  cul- 
tivation, surely  no  man  who  has  suit- 
able land,  and  cares  for  his  family,  will 
be  without  strawberries — "  the  best 
fruit  God  ever  made  !" 

And  suitable  soils  are  of  great  variety. 
Any  land  that  will  raise  wheat,  or 
potatoes,  or  corn — especially  the  last — 
will  raise  strawberries. 

Planting  can  be  laid  out  best  while 
looking  at  the  land.  Let  us  take  an 
imaginary  trip,  reader,  into  your  gar- 
den, and  if  it  is  as  bare  of  snow  as  mine 
is  jiLst  now  we  may  talk  to  the  best 
purj)ose. 

Your  garden  is  from  a  quarter  of  an 
acre  to  an  acre  in  size,  I  suppo.se,  and 
you  want  enough  berries  for  a  family 


of  four  to  eight  persons,  twice  a  day, 
for  as  long  a  season  as  possible,  with  a 
sufficient  surplus  to  entertain  occasional 
company,  and  to  preserve  or  can  for 
winter.  And  if  you  can  have  that 
without  its  narrowing  much  that  preci- 
ous cabbage  and  potato  patch,  or  cost- 
ing much  for  the  plants,  or  taking  too 
much  time  and  trouble  for  hoeing,  or 
much  bother  at  any  other  time,  "  well, 
you  wouldn't  mind,"  etc.  I  see  !  All 
right — very  sorry  I  can't  promise  you 
the  ben-ies  without  any  trouble  at  all, 
except  planting  and  picking,  but  I'll 
show  you  what  can  be  done. 

Any  part  of  your  garden  will  do  that 
is  level  or  not  too  steep,  and  not  shaded 
by  trees  ;  but  if  it  is  the  same  to  you 
let  us  take  that  patch  in  the  north-west 
corner,  because  the  snow  drifting  over 
the  fence  will  protect  the  plants  in 
winter.  Is  your  house  or  orchard  in 
that  corner  1  All  the  better  then,  per- 
haps. By  planting  immediately  south 
or  east  of  the  trees  the  snow  will  fall 
deeply  and  evenly  with  still  more  cer- 
tainty. Now  let  us  have  rows  at  least 
fifty  or  sixty  feet  long,  because  it  will 
take  less  trouble  in  moving  and  setting 
your  line  to  plant  by,  and  if  at  any 
time  you  bring  a  team  on  with  manure, 
or  take  a  notion  to  cultivate  with  a 
horse  hoe,  you  have  less  turning  and 
less  chance  of  injuring  the  plants  at  the 
end  of  the  row.  We  will  set  fifty 
plants  in  a  row  about  a  foot  or  fourteen 
inches  apart,  and  the  rows  two  feet 
apart,  because  a  strawberry  plant  needs 
about  two  square  feet  of  land  to  do 
well  on,  and  at  that  distance  a  horee 
cultivator  can  work  with  facility,  if 
desired. 

Now  lis  to  varieties.  Do  you  expect 
me  to  advise  you  to  stick  in  500  or 
1,000  Sharpless,  or  Bidwell,  or  Golden 
Defiance,  or  other  sorts  that  you  only 
know  of  from  the  headings  of  flaming 
advertisements  in   nurserymen's  cata- 


78. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


4ogues  or  advertisements.  No  !  You 
know  you  wanted  something  reliable 
and  not  too  dear  ;  and  these  novelties 
are,  many  of  them,  untested  and  high- 
priced — except  Sharpless,  which  is  find- 
ing its  level.  Just  take  something  first 
that  you  can  depend  upon.  On  your 
clay  loam,  Wilson's  Albany  will  do  its 
best,  and  probably  some  of  your  neigh- 
bors have  it  in  abundance,  and  will 
readily  let  you  have  it  for  "  Thank 
you."  Just  put  out  two  rows  of  it, 
however,  because  its  season,  though 
quite  early,  is  short,  and  one  hundred 
plants  will  give  you  plenty  for  cooking, 
considering  that  you  are  likely  to  leave 
most  of  them  for  that  purpose  if  you 
can  get  a  sweeter  berry  to  eat  fresh. 
Put  your  Wilson's  on  the  levellest  strip 
in  the  patch,  if  there  is  any  difference, 
and  the  heaviest  land,  and  if  you  have 
any  spare  well-rotted  manure  that  you 
don't  know  what  else  to  do  with  give 
it  to  them  ;  for  the  Wilson  plant  is  not 
nearly  so  vigorous  as  some  others,  and 
in  a  dry  season  sometimes  shrivels  up 
— leaf  and  berry — if  the  land  is  poor 
and  too  sandy,  or  too  stiff.  "  But  this 
patch  is  tit  to  raise  fair  potatoes  and 
"  cabbage,"  you  say  1  It's  all  right  then. 
Wilson  will  smile  sweetly  and  give  you 
a  crop  of  fruit,  or  of  runners — if  not 
pinched — ^that  will  surprise  you.  But 
you  would  like  something  a  little  earlier 
than  Wilson]  Well,  as  your  soil  is 
■  rather  heavy,  you  may  try  a  row  of 
Duncan.  Not  being  a  new  sort  it  is 
pretty  cheap,  and  it  will  come  in  nearly 
a  week  before  Wilson,  and  give  you  a 
fine  crop  of  large,  sweet,  rather  soft, 
berries  that  will  be  about  done  when 
the  main  crop  of  Wilsons  comes  on. 
^iTou  must  not  expect  as  large  a  crop 
from  the  Duncan's ;  but  the  peculiar 
high  flavor  of  the  berries  will  leave 
little  or  no  demand  for  Wilson's  while 
they  last;  and  they  are  really  good 
yielders. 

Now  try  one  row  of  Prouty.     It  is 


th  e  handsomest  berry  I  ever  saw.  Long, 
you  know,  something  like  a  Kittatinny 
blackberry  in  outline,  almost  as  uniform 
as  if  cast  in  a  mould,  with  a  smooth, 
shining  surface,  and  a  beautiful  tint  of 
scarlet,  merging  into  pink  on  the  shady 
side.  Its  quality  is  fine,  and  it  some- 
times out  yields  Wilson,  size  and  season 
medium.  But  if  your  land  is  sandy, 
or  poor,  you  must  not  think  of  trying 
it.  It  is  such  a  great  bearer — such  a 
determined  bearer — that  on  anything 
but  rich  loamy  soil  it  runs  all  to  fruit, 
and  is  apt  to  die  as  soon  as  the  crop  is 
gathered,  or  before. 

Well,  you  must  have  some  Sharpless, 
of  course.  It  is  so  large  and  handsome, 
so  late,  and  so  good  to  take — put  out  a 
couple  of  rows  and  astonish  the  natives 
with  berries  as  large  as  plums.  But 
you  will  astonish  no  one  but  yourself 
unless  you  keep  the  runners  off  and  the 
weeds  down.  Allowing  it  to  mat  up 
with  runners  and  young  plants  will 
give  you  a  miserable  return  of  insipid, 
soft,  pink-and-white  medium  berries 
that  will  not  half  pay  for  the  labor  of 
planting.  Sharpless  can  get  along 
without  rich  soil  if  you  give  it  room 
enough  ;  but  its  constitution — the  re- 
verse of  Prouty — insists  on  plenty  of 
sap  in  the  leaves  and  stalks,  and  the 
fruit  is  fed  afterwards.  If  the  roots 
have  room  and  the  runners  are  checked, 
the  immense  vigor  of  the  plant  pumps 
the  sap  into  the  fruit,  and  you  get  fine 
berries  and  lots  of  them. 

And  lastly,  we  will  finish  the  patch 
with  one  row  of  Glendale.  It's  not  as 
large  as  Sharpless,  or  so  good  in  quality 
or  color.  In  fact  it  is  very  dark  when 
fit  to  eat,  and  if  you  taste  a  berry  that  is 
"  not  ripe  but  only  red,"  you  will  wish 
you  had  a  Wilson  instead.  But  the  plant 
is  of  a  wiry  vigorous  habit  that  can  stand 
abuse.  The  blossoms  seem  better  able 
to  stand  a  frost  when  in  bud  than 
Sharpless,  and  it  yields  later  pickings. 


THE   CANADIAN   H0ETICULTUEI8T. 


79 


It  is  well,  too,  to  have  one  row  in  hand 
for  preserving  in  case  a  frost  in  early 
blossoming  time  cuts  short  the  Wilson's, 
which  are  very  susceptible  to  frost. 
Besides,  when  thorotighly  ripe,  many 
people  seem  to  relish  the  peculiar  flavor 
of  Glendale. 

But  some  man  with  sandy  land  would 
like  to  raise  strawberries  !  Then,  sir, 
keep  your  Wilson's  for  fertilizing,  be- 
cause most  of  the  common  sorts  suit- 
able for  sandy  land  differ  from  those 
already  named  in  being  deficient  in 
pollen  to  fertilize  the  blossoms.  Then 
Instead  of  Duncan  and  Prouty  set  two 
rows  of  Crescent  which  will  yield  an  im- 
mense crop  from  very  early  till  after 
the  Wilson's,  and  be  of  better  flavor 
than  if  grown  on  clay  loam,  and  substi- 
tute one  row  of  Champion  (or  what  is 
either  the  same  thing  or  something 
better,  Windsor  Chief,)  instead  of  one 
of  your  rows  of  Sharpless.  Retain  the 
row  of  Glendale,  and  your  patch  is 
again  filled  up.  These  two  kinds, 
Crescent  and  Windsor  Chief,  are  not 
so  sweet  and  rich  as  the  kinds  recom- 
mended for  clay  loam,  but  they  make 
up  for  it  in  size  of  the  crop,  and  both 
ai*e  very  handsome.  Windsor  Chief 
is  the  largest,  and  like  Glendale  and 
Wilson,  is  not  ripe  enough  for  eating 
till  quite  dark  in  color. 

Now  you  have  seven  rows  containing 
altogether  three  hundred  and  fifty 
plants,  that  take  u])  a  space  of  ground 
fifty  or  sixty  feet  long,  and  say  sixteen 
feet  wide,  allowing  for  paths  at  the 
outside,  or  a  little  less  than  four  square 
rods  in  extent,  and  costing  you  from 
three  to  four  dollai-s  for  the  plants  laid 
on  the  ground,  if  you  buy  all  of  them  ; 
or  not  more  than  $2.50  if  you  get  the 
Wilsons  for  nothing  ?  Is  not  that 
within  your  limits  of  space  and  means  1 

But  you  want  to  know  what  returns 
to  expect.  Well,  my  friend,  that  de- 
pends  mostly  on  how  you   treat   the 


plants.  If  you  leave  them  to  run  races 
with  grass  and  weeds  after  a  hoeing  or 
two,  all  except  Wilson  and  Glendale, 
(or  these  with  the  addition  of  Crescent 
and  Windsor  Chief,  on  sandy  land), 
will  go  to  the  dogs,  and  you  will  prob- 
ably get  some  thirty  to  eighty  quarts 
of  little  sour  berries — to  grumble  over 
and  declare  strawberry  growing  doesn't 
pay.  If  you  give  about  three  hoeings 
and  runner  cuttings  each  year,  on  good, 
fair  garden  soil,  you  ought  to  get  one 
hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  quarts 
of  fine  fruit,  while  with  first-class  treat- 
ment and  very  rich  soil  you  need  not 
be  surprised  at  over  three  hundred. 

Any  man  who  thinks  this  won't  pay 
him  on  four  rods  of  ground,  has  a  call 
from  fate  to  eat  pork  and  potatoes,  and 
had  better  be  satisfied  with  a  diet  of 
that  description  ! 

But  perhaps  your  means  and  tastes 
incline  you  to  try  some  of  the  new 
varieties  that  come  out  every  season 
with  bounce  and  hurrah  enough  to  cast 
in  the  shade  the  modest  tested  sorts 
we  already  have.  Well,  you  will  find 
it  very  interesting — indeed  fascinating 
— to  test  some  of  them.  But  nibble 
cautiously  at  that  sort  of  bait,  my 
friend  !  I  have  been  bitten  over  and 
over  again  in  this  line,  by  poor  per- 
formances allied  to  grand  promises — 
which,  for  a  poor  man,  is  unpleasant. 
Let  me  give  you  a  good  rule.  Don't 
buy  an  article  that  only  one  nursery- 
man, or  even  two  or  three  without 
much  reputation,  may  recommend — no 
matter  how  highly  they  may  praise  it. 
But  if  several  men  whose  good  name  i& 
worth  something  to  them,  e.  g.,  Dowi^ 
ing,  Roe,  EUwanger  and  Barry  in  the 
States,  and  our  own  Dempsey,  Beadle, 
Arnold,  «kc.,  8})eak  in  favor  of  a  new 
variety,  it  is  safe  to  try  it.  Buy  a  few 
plants,  and  if  gooii,  you  can  easily  in- 
crease your  stock.  Of  all  the  new 
varieties  now  before  the  public,  Kirk- 


80 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


wood,  Jersey  Queen,  Gipsy,  Orient, 
Satin  Gloss,  Primo,  Longfellow,  War- 
ren, Shirts,  Brilliant,  &c.,  &c.,  how 
many  will  survive  the  third  seasoi) 
from  now  1  Without  a  doubt  most  of 
them  will  disappear,  to  be  replaced  by 
others  of  as  high  sounding  pretensions. 
There  are  two  new  sorts  now  claiming 
attention  that  seem  to  be  above  all 
■others  in  the  uniform  praise  bestowed 
by  men  who  have  seen  and  tried  them. 
They  are  Bidwelland  Manchester — the 
former  early,  the  latter  late.  Bidwell 
has  been  out  longer,  and  its  record  is 
exceedingly  good.  After  these  Jersey 
Queen  and  Primo  are  of  considerable 
promise.  I  expect  to  test  Bidwell 
thoroughly  next  season,  and  Manches- 
ter slightly,  and  I  have  consider-able 
hopes  of  both.  One  thing  is  certain, 
there  is  wide  room  for  improvement 
yet  in  the  strawberry.  That  some  of 
the  new  sorts  will  fill  the  bill  better 
than  the  old  ones,  all  must  hope  who 
believe  in  the  improvement  of  fruits, 
but  which  will  be  the  variety  to  da  so, 
is  a  question  that  needs  considerable 
testing  yet  to  determine. 


SAUNDERS'   HYBRID  RASPBERRIES. 

My  Saunders  hybrid  is  a  great  suc- 
cess. It  stands  the  winter  without 
protection,  and  is  a  heavy  bearer  of 
fine  flavored  berries,  and  is  a  strong 
grower.  I  noticed  some  complaint  of 
it  being  difiicult  to  propagate ;  mine 
must  be  diflerent  from  the  rest,  as  it 
threw  up  shoots  for  three  or  four  feet 
around  the  old  plant ;  I  got  eight  good 
strong  plants  from  it.  The  Bui-net 
.  grap3  has  not  turned  out  well  with  me. 
It  had  only  a  few  very  straggling 
bunches  on  it,  with  a  large  proportion 

•  of  the  berries  the  size  of  peas.     How- 

•  ever,  it  made  a  great  growth  of  wood 
last  summer  and  may  do  better  this 

vyear.  R.  B.  Whyte. 

^  Ottawa. 


SHAFFER'S    COLOSSAL  RASPBERRY. 

From  all  accounts  this  must  be  a 
most  remarkable  raspberiy.  It  is  said 
to  have  originated  in  the  State  of  New 
York  in  the  year  1869,  and  that  the 
original  plant,  now  over  twelve  yeai-s 
old,  is  yet  growing  with  wonderful 
vigor,  and  yields  extraordinary  crops 
of  fruit.  Plants  raised  from  it,  with- 
out receiving  any  special  care  or  high 
manuring,  have  grown  to  the  height  of 
ten  feet,  with  corresponding  breadth. 
And  M^hat  is  particularly  surprising  in 
a  plant  of  such  immense  and  rapid 
growth,  it  is  claimed  for  it  that  it  is  a 
perfect  iron-clad,  surviving  the  most 
severe  winters,  unprotected,  without 
the  least  injury.  Its  season  of  ripen- 
ing is  the  same  as  the  Gregg,  yet  con- 
tinuing somewhat  longer.  Some  who 
have  grown  it  say  they  have  no  hesita- 
tion in  claiming  for  it  as  it  appears  on 
their  ground  that  it  is  the  largest  rasp- 
berry in  the  world  on  the  average,  as 
gathered  by  the  bushel  from  the  field. 
It  is  also  very  productive.  The  color 
is  a  rich,  reddish  purple.  It  belongs 
to  the  black-cap  family,  being  propa- 
gated from  the  tips. 

Of  course  it  remains  to  be  ascer- 
tained by  actual  trial  whether  this  new 
variety  will  prove  to  be  hardy  under 
the  severity  of  our  Canadian  winters, 
and  whether,  with  all  its  wonderful 
size  and  productiveness,  it  will  prove 
to  be  a  profitable  market  berry. 


A  Hardy  Raspberry.  —  The  severe 
winters  of  the  West  afford  a  strong  test 
of  the  hardiness  of  raspberries.  D.  B. 
Wier,  of  Illinois,  says  he  has  found  from 
experience  that  the  old  Seneca  black-cap 
is  the  hardiest  of  all  the  black  raspberries, 
and  able  to  withstand  the  most  intense 
cold.  The  handsome,  glossy  appearance 
of  its  fruit,  and  its  excellent  flavor,  in 
addition  to  its  hardiness,  should  give  it 
more  attention  than  it  has  received  of 
late  years. — Country  Gentleman. 


IHE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


81 


SHAFFER'S  COLOSSAL  RASPBERRY, 


82 


THE    CANA.DIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


BEPORT  OF  SEEDLING  AND  NEW 
FRUITS  FOR   1881. 

In  some  of  the  departments  of  fruit 
culture  this  season,  the  supply  has  been 
most  abundant  and  plentiful,  more  so,  I 
believe,  in  this  section  than  in  some  of 
the  other  sections  of  our  province.  As 
I  have  previously  reported,  for  this  sec- 
tion the  small-fruit  crop  of  this  season 
was  most  encouraging  and  abundant. 
And  now  again,  I  am  most  happy  to  be 
able  to  report  a  magnificent  crop  of  fine 
apples  and  luscious  grapes.  These  crops, 
1  believe,  were  quite  exclusive  and  sec- 
tional as  far  as  our  province  is  concern- 
ed, being  much  larger  and  finer  than 
in  many  other  sections.  For  these  ex- 
pressions of  benevolent  favor,  we  should 
be  more  and  more  thankful  than  ever 
to  the  Great  Fountain  of  good,  "who 
supplies  the  need  of  every  living  thing. " 
Without  further  preliminaries  then,  I 
shall  at  once  take  notice  of  the  staple 
fruits  as  they  occur  in  their  order  of  im- 
portance, commencing  with 

APPLES. 

In  these  the  old  standard  sorts  as 
Rhode  Island  Greenings,  Baldwins, 
Northern  Spys,  and  Russets,  are  as 
popular  as  ever  and  lose  nothing  of 
their  real  value  and  importance  as  do- 
mestic and  marketable  fruits.  As  T 
have  previously  intimated,  our  crop  of 
this  fine  popular,  standard  fruit  for  this 
season  was  not  only  abundant,  but 
liandsomely  developed,  and  much  to 
the  pecuniary  profit  of  our  growers. 
The  demand  for  our  apples  this  year 
was  better  than  ever  before,  and  our 
growers  sold  the  whole  of  autumn  and 
winter  fruit  to  dealers  who  came  to 
the  orchard  and  supplied  the  packing 
for  the  whole.  The  price  paid  was 
from  80  cents  to  $1.00  per  barrel  for 
autumn,  and  $1.00  to  $1.50  for  winter, 
and  it  was  astonishing  to  see  the  quan- 
tities shipped  at  our  ports.  The  con- 
sequence is  our  people  are  very  much 


encouraged  in  their  eflforts  at  apple 
growing,  and  are  already  planning  for 
the  extensive  planting  of  new  and  much 
improved  orchards,  as  they  now  see  in 
the  light  of  a  keen  market  where  they 
have  previously  erred,  and  are  deter- 
mined to  rectify  these  matters.  We 
have  no  indigenous  apples  of  any  im- 
portance whatever,  as  our  natural 
specimens  are  too  small  and  repulsive 
in  flavor  and  texture  in  the  light  of 
better  sorts.  We  have,  however,  seen 
some  new  sorts  lately  introduced  that 
are  likely  to  be  of  great  value  in  our 
future  stock  of  winter  apples,  and  three 
of  the  best  of  those  are  Mann  Apple, 
Grimes  Golden,  and  Smith's  Cider. 
The  first  is  large,  fine,  and  a  good 
keeper,  and  the  second  and  third  are 
beautiful  in  color  and  relishable  in  tex- 
ture and  flavour ;  they  are  doubtless 
great  acquisitions  to  our  present  envi- 
able stock.  We  had  early  Harvest  this 
year  and  in  good  condition  Aug.  6th. 
and  the  beautiful  new  Russian  apple 
Tetofsky,  Aug.  8th.  We  are  now  grow- 
ing a  few  western  varieties  that  may 
ultimately  be  of  great  service  to  us, 
and  valuable  additions  to  our  stock. 
These  are  Walbridge,  Haas,  Perry 
Russet,  Utter's  Red  and  Wealthy, 
mostly  from  Minnesota,  and  they  are 
making  splendid  progress.  In  a  few 
more  years  therefore,  we  hope  to  have 
something  more  splendid  in  the  apple 
line  to  report. 

PEARS. 

This  season  was  unfortunately  an  off 
year  in  our  pear  orchards,  if  the  few 
scattering  trees  generally  planted  in 
this  county,  can  properly  be  so  desig- 
nated. For  growing  this  fruit  we  have 
a  country  well  adapted  both  in  soil  and 
climate,  and  yet  there  are  lamentably 
few  and  poor  specimens  grown,  that  is, 
compared  with  our  capabilities.  Why 
this  is  so  is  something  like  a  mystery, 
but  must  be  accounted  for  on  the  prin- 
ciple   of    reckless    indifference.      For 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


83 


those  produced  the  demand  is  good,  and 
the  price  rules  high,  good  samples 
readily  bringing  from  $2.00  to  $3.00  per 
bushel,  according  to  quality.  We  are 
mostly  satisfied  with  the  old  standard 
varieties  as  Bartlett,  Flemish  Beauty 
and  Bon  de  Jersey,  as  we  can  hear  of 
nothing  better.  And  it  may  be  some- 
time before  anything  better  is  produced. 
Clapp's  Favorite,  so  largely  disseminated 
by  our  society  some  few  years  ago,  is 
now  beginning  to  come  intofruitfulness, 
and  thus  upsetting  the  popular  objec- 
tion against  j)ear  pbinting,  that  you 
must  wait  a  lifetime  before  they  come 
into  bearing,  this  fallacy  is  now  being 
timely  exploded.  Well,  the  fruit  of  this 
pear  is  fine,  large,  handsome  and  good, 
but  very  soft  at  matui-ity.  The  destruc- 
tive blight  of  the  pear  tree  so  bad  in 
some  sections,  is  scarcely  known  here, 
even  in  those  orchards  that  have  been 
some  time  planted.  We  think  suitable 
soil  and  careful  preparation  and  drain- 
age, with  good  culture,  will  largely 
overcome  this  diflSculty  in  the  culture 
of  this  a  fine  popular  fruit. 

PLUMS. 

As  far  as  soil  and  climate  are  con- 
cerned, this  whole  region  is  well  adapt- 
ed to  the  culture  of  fine  plums;  but  it 
is  very  rarely  that  such  is  ever  seen  of 
late  years.  "What  is  the  matter  ?"  you 
ask.  Oh,  the  same  old  disheartening 
story,  "The  Curculio  takes  them  all;" 
and  really  this  is  the  fact,  scarcely  a 
sample  being  left  to  show  us  what  they 
would  be  like.  Years  ago  we  used  to 
find  a  large,  handsome  and  relishable 
plum  on  our  rich  creek  bottoms  in  the 
woods,  but  like  many  other  good  things 
of  olden  time  they  have  fled  witli  the 
Indians,  and  now  their  place  knows 
them  no  more  for  ever.  What  native 
varieties  are  left  are  few  and  far  be- 
tween and  ai*e  small  and  astringent. 
This  season  a  large  nursery  firm.  Par- 
sons &  Co.,  New  York,  sent  to  us  for  a 
large  quantity  of  native  plums,  to  be 


used  solely  for  their  seed,  supposing  we 
had  any  quantity  here  ;  but  we  had  ta 
report  in  answer,  "No plums  to  be  had." 
The  sorts  we  attempt  mostly  are  Blue 
Orleans  and  another  blue  plum,  but 
much  smaller,  and  in  some  favored  sec- 
tions Lombard,  but  in  the  main  plum 
growing  is  at  a  discount  among  us.  I 
may  say  in  passing,  that  Black  Knot  is 
also  very  commonly  seen  on  old  fruit- 
less plum  trees  in  our  fence  corners  and 
other  places. 

CHERRIES. 

I  am  very  sorry  to  report  that  we  are 
not  by  any  means  so  successful  in  grow- 
ing cherries  as  we  are  in  growing  some 
other  fruits.  As  a  matter  of  conse- 
quence a  country  that  is  famed  for  fine 
apples,  pears  and  i)lums,  cannot  be 
equally  noted  for  fine  and  beautiful 
cherries.  The  fruits  in  their  very 
nature  require  different  conditions  of 
soil  and  climate.  In  our  forests  are 
some  of  the  finest  samples  of  cherry 
trees  that  eyes  ever  looked  upon,  and 
yet  their  fruit  is  not  the  beautiful, 
luscious,  European  cherry,  but  a  small 
jet  black  fruit,  strung  on  their  stems 
like  a  cluster  of  red  currants.  We 
have  frequently  tried  to  plant  the  trees 
of  those  beautiful  foreign  sorts,  we  used 
to  have  in  such  plentiful  abundance 
when  we  were  at  home,  but  in  most 
cases  we  have  sadly  failed.  Last 
winter  made  sad  havoc  among  our  fine 
trees,  15  or  20  feet  high,  and  6  or  8 
years'  growth,  that  we  were  fondly  plac- 
ing our  expectations  upon.  Now  they 
are  lifeless  spectres,  that  we  can  only 
uproot  as  so  many  cumberei-s  of  the 
ground.  This  experience  is  not  uncom- 
mon, and  is  very  discouraging  indeed  to 
us  of  so  sensitive  nature,  llie  soi-ts 
mostly  attempted  are  Black  Eagle, 
Black  Tai*tarian,  for  this  color,  and  for 
red,  May  Duke,  and  early  Richmond. 
The  late  Richmond  or  common  sour 
cherry,  as  it  is  called,  is  largely  grown 
and  easily  propagated,  and  gives  on  the 


8-i 


THE   CANADIAN   HOETICULT CRIST. 


whole  good  satisfaction,  as  it  grows 
readily  in  almost  any  sort  of  soil,  and 
bears  neglect  and  hardship  very  patient- 
ly. A  good  hardy,  serviceable  cherry 
is  much  needed  for  our  common,  every 
day  wants. 

QUINCES 

Are  not  to  any  appreciable  extent 
grown  among  us,  as  our  people  do  not 
feel  the  need  of  them,  not  knowing  any- 
thing either  of  their  nature  or  qualities. 
It  is,  however,  very  doubtful  whether 
our  county,  in  climate  especially,  would 
in  any  degree  suit  them  for  develop- 
ment. 

PEACHES. 

The  growing  of  this  fruit  in  this  sec- 
tion is  getting  to  be  quite  an  import- 
ant industry,  and  thousands  of  trees  are 
annually  being  planted  for  their  fruit. 
The  reason  of  this  is  the  very  general 
satisfaction  the  crop  has  given  the  culti- 
vators for  the  last  few  seasons  past  in 
its  quantity  and  in  its  quality.  Our 
soil  and  climate  seem  not  unadapted  to 
the  successful  production  of  very  fine 
peaches.  This  last  season,  however, 
was  an  unusual  exception  to  our  gener- 
ally large  and  fine  show  of  peaches 
The  reason  of  this  was  undoubtedly  the 
unusual  severity  of  the  preceding  win- 
ter, the  high  winds  and  the  severe 
freezing  having  killed  the  peach  fruit 
buds,  and  in  some  localities  even  the 
wood  was  positively  frozen  to  death. 
This  may  not  likely  occur  again  for 
sometime,  but  it  should  be  a  valuable 
lesson  to  our  peach  growers  generally, 
to  be  careful  to  provide  screens  or  wind 
breaks,  to  their  fruit  plantations,  for  in 
every  case  the  crop  is  benefited  by  it. 
Our  crop  therefore  from  about  150 
trees  did  not  amount  to  more  than  20 
bushels,  which  sold  readily  for  a  very 
.high  price  in  the  market.  I  need  not 
say  tliat  the  peach  is  not  indigenous  in 
our  country,  but  we  have  any  quantity 
of  seedlings  produced  annually,  some 
good  and  some  good  for  nothing.     Mr. 


Geo,  Ott,  of  Arkona,  has  a  very  fine  yel- 
low-fleshed seedling,  called  Ott's  beauty, 
that  is  really  very  valuay>le,  as  it  is  of 
very  fine  flavor,  good  size,  ships  well, 
and  comes  true  from  its  own  seed, 
needing  not  to  be  budded.  These,  you 
know,  are  good  points  and  our  people 
know  how  to  prize  them,  and  peaches 
will  likely  be  planted  largely,  Mr. 
Ott  himself  having  the  finest  orcliard 
of  about  2,000  trees  that  I  have 
ever  seen.  The  sorts  mostly  grown 
here  are  Early  York ;  Stump  the 
World ;  Crawford's  Early,  and  some  of 
the  very  early  varieties  lately  intro- 
duced ;  but  Crawford's  is  the  best,  and 
the  largest  planted.  There  was  quite  a 
stir  made  by  the  tree  agents  about 
Early  Canada,  and  some  of  them  effect- 
ed large  sales  at  good  prices  for  the 
trees,  but  the  fruit  is  not  coming  up  to 
the  expectations  raised  by  the  itinerants. 
It  is  true,  it  is  early,  maturing  with  us 
Aug.  5th.  but  it  is  nothing  better  than 
Amsden's  June,  being  small  and  so 
intensely  cling  that  it  can  scarcely  be 
used.  Mr.  River's  Early  Louise  is 
good,  very  early,  and  very  tine,  an  accep- 
table fruit.  It  should  be  largely  plant- 
ed as  it  is  as  hardy  as  our  seedlings. 

GRAPES 

Are  a  very  popular  fruit,  and  fast  be- 
coming increasingly  interesting.  Our 
country  seems  well  adapted  to  their 
successful  culture,  and  the  probabilities 
are  that  many  large  vineyards  will  be 
planted  all  over  where  favorable  locali- 
ties can  be  secured.  The  crop  last 
season  was  immense,  and  all  found  a 
ready  market  at  the  time  of  maturity. 
Our  people  however,  are  very  slow  in 
planting  out  the  vines,  as  they  are  much 
afraid  there  is  sOme  secret  in  their 
management,  and  they  could  not  possi- 
bly do  it,  but  still  manv  are  experiment- 
ing in  small  quantities.  Black  sorts 
are  most  popular,  as  our  people  are 
somewhat  careless  or  suspicious  of  red 
or   white   varieties.     The    sorts   most 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICtlLTCRIST, 


8S 


grown  are  old,  well  tried  kinds,  as  Isa- 
bella, Clinton,  and  Concord,  which  is 
by  far  the  best  of  them  all.  On  our 
creek  and  river  bottoms  there  is  a 
small,  black  frost  grape  that  grows 
very  luxuriantly  over  the  trees,  but 
the  fruit  is  valueless  for  anything  ex- 
cepting for  wine  purposes.  For  a  fancy 
grape  among  us  the  Delaware  is  the 
most  popular,  and  the  people  treat  it 
with  becoming  respect.  It  succeeds 
remarkably  well.  The  new  sorts  that 
aresbeing  introduced  are  Pocklington, 
Brighton  and  Burnet,  so  named  after 
our  honoured  President.  Of  these 
Brighton  is  likely  to  become  a  popular 
and  general  favorite,  and  its  introduc- 
tion last  season  by  the  F.  G.  A.  will 
largely  hasten  this  result,  as  the  stock 
was  before  held  as  scarce  and  dear. 
Burnet,  introduced  by  the  F.  G.  A. 
two  years  before,  is  also  likely  to  he- 
come  a  great  acquisition,  as  it  is  a  re- 
markably fine  grower,  and  what  fruit 
we  have  yet  seen  is  very  good  indeed. 
Of  the  whites  we  had  this  season  a 
remarkably  fine  crop  of  Marthas.  This 
is  really  a  very  fine  vineyard  variety, 
and  for  our  climate  perhaps  as  good,  all 
things  considered,  as  we  need  wish. 
The  vine  is  very  hardy  and  a  good 
grower,  the  bunch  is  large  and  com- 
pact, and  the  berry  is  large  and  of  very 
fine  flavor,  that  hangs  well  to  the 
bunch.  The  fruit  sold  well  and  at 
good  prices.  Champion  was  ready  this 
season  August  28th,  Hartford  Prolific 
Sept.  4th,  and  Concords  Sept.  9th,  but 
on  account  of  the  prolonged  summer 
droughts  fruits  ripened  a  few  days  ear- 
lier than  usual. 

OUR   GRAPE    CROP. 

Perhaps  it  may  not  be  uninteresting 
or  out  of  place  here  to  give  a  synopsis 
of  our  beautiful  crop  of  grapes  this  sea- 
son, as  they  appeared  on  our  grounds. 
It  was  certainly  the  finest  sight  of  the 
kind  I  had  ever  seen,  and  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  realize  that  such  a  crop  of  fine 


fruit  could  be  produced.  Many  came 
to  witness  it  and  testified  to  its  unusual 
excellence.  The  plantation  consists  of 
250  vines,  and  their  net  product  was 
5,000  lbs.,  of  first-class  fruit,  that  sold 
for  $400  in  the  market.  The  average 
product  per  vine  was  20  lbs.  At  the 
same  rate  of  planting,  an  acre  of  ground 
would  contain  544  vines,  and  their 
united  product  would  be  10,880  lbs., 
5J  tons,  or  in  value  $870,  an  excellent 
showing  doubtless  for  grape-growing  in 
this  country,  with  all  its  disappoint- 
ments and  frigidity.  According  to  the 
late  report  issued  by  the  Commissioner 
of  Agriculture,  at  Washington,  U.  S., 
1880,  on  grape  growing  and  wine  mak- 
ing for  that  country,  the  highest  yield 
per  acre  for  that  county,  Kent,  in  the 
State  of  Michigan,  was  10,000  lbs.,  and 
the  average  for  the  counties  of  the 
State  was  45.23  lbs.  per  acre.  At  the 
present  time  wine  making  is  not  at- 
tempted among  us,  the  market  readily 
absorbing  the  whole  crop  of  grapes,  as 
soon  as  it  is  matured. 

SUGGESTIONS. 

1st.  As  the  American  people  at  the 
present  time  are  deeply  concerned 
about  their  grape  culture  and  wine- 
making  as  a  national  industry,  and  are 
earnestly  collecting  official  statistics 
relating  to  them,  would  it  not  likewise 
be  well  for  us  also  to  be  awake  in  this 
matter,  and  more  earnestly  encourage 
and  assist  grape  growing  amongst  us  'i 

2nd.  Would  it  not  be  a  most  suc- 
cessful means  of  modifying  the  exces- 
sive use  of  ardent  stimulants  amongst 
us,  and  prove  a  great  national  blessing 
to  so  encourage  a  supply  of  home  made 
wines,  the  pure  juice  of  the  grape  for 
general  and  domestic  purposes. 

3rd.  Can  any  good  substantial  reason 
be  successfully  urged  why  this  should 
not  be  done,  seeing  our  facilities  are  so 
favorable  1 

4th.  I  would  most  respectfully  sug- 


86 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


gest  and  advise  that  this  subject  be 
taken  up  and  thoroughly  discussed  in 
public  assembly,  at  the  next  winter 
meeting  of  our  associations. 

All  of  which   is   most  respectfully 
submitted. 

B.  GoTT. 

Arkona  Nurseries,  Nov.  21,  1881. 


TREE  PLANTING. 

A  DUTY  OBLIGATORY  ON  THE  STATE  ! 

A  Paper  read  before  the .  Ontario  Fruit  Growers'  Asso- 
oiatioH,  by  B.  Gott,  Arkona,  Ont. 

Our  theme,  you  say,  is  again  tree 
planting y  and  perhaps  you  will  feel  in- 
clined to  call  it  hackneyed,  stale,  &c. 
But  after  much  mature  and  sober  con- 
sideration of  the  subject  in  its  various 
phases,  we  are  increasingly  impressed 
with  the  validity  of  our  position  con- 
cerning it.  The  very  nature  of  the 
work  in  its  importance  and  extent  at 
once  invests  it  with  this  high  pre- 
eminence. We  hope,  therefore,  that 
while  we  quietly  pursue  the  line  of  our 
argument  to  its  close  you  will  kindly 
give  us  your  calm  and  candid  attention, 
and  that  we  and  our  subject  may  be 
treated  at  once  with  becoming  manliness 
and  Christian  grace.  The  proposition 
though  somewhat  startling  and  devi- 
ating slightly  from  our  accustomed 
notion  of  things  is  still  at  once  simple 
and  very  plain,  viz. :  That  it  is .  the 
duty  of  the  State  to  encourage  tree 
planting  wherever  the  need  exists.  The 
force  of  the  statement  may  be  made 
more  clearly  to  appear  from  the  follow- 
ing very  proper  considerations  :  1st. 
Nothing  so  promotes  the  best  interests 
of  a  country's  healthfulness,  beauty 
and  utility,  like  extensive  and  judicious 
tree  planting,  and  it  is  the  recognized 
duty  of  the  State  to  encourage,  and  in 
every  possible  way,  secure  these  much 
valued  properties  to  her  people.  2nd. 
It  is  the  duty  of  the  State  to  aid  and 
encourage  national  agriculture,  and  our 


proposition  is  analogous  and  closely 
related  to  it.  That  the  encouragement 
of  agriculture  is  a  duty  of  the  State  is 
clearly  apprehended  in  the  customs  of 
all  civilized  and  progressive  nations  ; 
witness  Old  England,  H'rance,  Germany, 
the  United  States  of  America  and 
Canada.  T)ie  leading  and  honored 
countries  annually  lay  out  millions  of 
the  public  monies  of  the  State  for  the 
support  and  encouragement  of  their 
national  agriculture.  And  by  this 
means  have  perfected  the  highest  and 
best  systems  of  popular  agriculture 
known.  Why  is  this  encouragement 
found  needful  and  beneficial  1  Because 
simply  that  it  is  a  well  known  demon- 
strable fact  that  stability  and  perman- 
ency of  the  state  cannot  exist  without 
it.  In  some  countries,  as  ours  for 
instance,  this  is  absolute  because  it  is 
the  main  source  of  production  and  the 
treasure  house  of  the  wealth  and  ma- 
terial greatness  of  the  State.  In  many 
respects  these  remarks  will  forcibly 
apply  to  general  tree  planting  and 
forestry.  Those  noted  centres  of  power, 
of  wealth  and  of  civilization  already 
mentioned,  not  only  acknowledged  the 
general  truth  of  our  proposition,  but 
are  generously  and  studiously  acting 
upon  it  in  the  millions  of  acres  of  noble 
forest  wealth  to  be  inspected  on  their 
borders.  Are  we  doing  anything  in 
this  direction?  But,  3rd.  It  is  the 
duty  of  the  State  to  protect  and  en- 
courage her  educational  interests.  This 
as  a  measure  of  increased  efficiency  and 
wealth  is  also  closely  allied  to  our  posi- 
tion with  respect  to  tree  planting.  The 
duty  of  the  State  to  foster  educational 
interests  among  her  people  is  a  position 
now  generally  accepted,  and  needs  but 
little  attempts  at  proof.  The  force  of 
this  practical  truth  is  abundantly  ex- 
emplified in  every  day  transactions  of 
all  great  and  prosperous  people,  and 
indeed  it  is  itself  the  great  foundation, 
the  **  chief  corner  stone  "  of  all  great- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


87 


ness  and  prosperitj.  But  again  the 
burden  of  general  and  extended  tree 
planting  is  work,  at  once  so  ponderous 
and  so  exhaustive,  that  individual  and 
isolated  effort  is  inefficient  and  pales 
away  into  utter  insignificance  before  it. 
Also  the  tastes  and  personal  opinions 
of  men  with  respect  to  any  great  public 
matter  are  in  themselves  so  varied  and 
in  some  cases  opposite,  that  but  little 
real  progress  can  be  effected  in  any  one 
direction.  This  may  be  greatly  modi- 
fied and  much  better  results  become 
apparent  when  the  overruling  wisdom 
of  the  State  presides.  But  further  the 
individual  life  of  man  is  in  itself  found 
to  be  too  short  and  too  uncertain  for 
any  great  public  endowment  requiring 
length  of  time  and  great  concentration 
of  active  forces.  All  acknowledge  that 
tree  planting  for  the  good  of  themselves 
and  their  posterity  after  them  is  their 
duty,  and  that  it  should  be  done,  but 
individual  effort,  if  it  happens  to  be  in 
the  minority,  is  singularly  and  pain- 
fully unavailing.  If  men  have  the 
assurance  that  their  work  in  any  one 
direction  is  appreciated  by  those  in 
authority  over  them,  and  that  it  would 
eventually  overcome  all  hostilities  and 
be  a  great  and  pleasant  success  in  the 
future  destinies  of  their  country,  there 
is  little  possible  doubt  of  the  astonish- 
ing results.  Self-interest,  too,  being  in 
the  general  direction  would  render  the 
task  less  imposing  and  very  greatly 
assist  in  the  matter.  But  we  must  very 
briefly  proceed  to  consider  the  nature 
of  the  question,  and  the  nature  of  the 
obligation  the  State  is  laid  under  to 
encourage  it.  By  tree  planting  we 
would  of  course  be  understood  to  mean 
the  planting  of  living  trees  for  ultimate 
results,  as  for  timber,  for  finiit,  or  for 
ornamentation.  All  tree  planting  may 
be  properly  included  as  regards  the 
results  under  the  head  of  one  or  other 
of  these  three  great  classes  or  depart- 
ments.    The  latter  two  classes  of  tree 


planting  are  easily  got  along  with,  and 
require  but  little  from  the  State  in  the 
way  of  assistance  and  encouragement, 
as  the  prevailing  and  powerful  motor 
and  stimulus,  self-interest,  as  we  have 
before  said,  is  in  the  line  of  this  direc- 
tion. It  can  always  be  appealed  to, 
and  is  always  capable  of  great  results 
if  a  moderate  amount  of  encouragement 
can  be  secured.  By  this  means  the 
prosperous  farms  and  beautiful  and 
happy  homes  all  over  this  favored 
country  are  secured.  The  most  obvi- 
ous encouragement  here  required  from 
the  State  will  simply  be  good  and 
efficient  measures  for  the  best  possible 
protection  of  the  products  after  they 
are  attained.  These,  I  suppose,  we 
ought  to  consider,  we  assuredly  have 
at  least  in  Canada,  as  the  man  who 
dares  to  enter  our  orchards  and  tread 
or  cut  down  our  fruit  or  ornamental 
trees  is  most  severely  punished  if  we 
can  catch  him.  And  so  of  the  man 
who  carries  off  our  fruit  by  the  bagful. 
We,  however,  sometimes  think  accord- 
ing to  our  experience  in  this  matter 
that  the  moral  sense  of  wrong  that  is 
stamped  upon  the  minds  of  our  peram- 
bulating youth  is  but  very  feebly  made, 
and  that  if  we  had  them  securely  in  our 
hold  we  should  much  relish  the  duty  of 
impressing  it  more  efficiently  upon 
their  shouldere.  The  fact  undoubtedly 
remains  that  orchard  protection  in  this 
country,  as  at  present  understood,  is 
not  considered  satisfactory  either  for 
purposes  of  encouragement  or  safety. 
But  though  those  classes  of  the  subject 
are  so  easily  managed  it  is  not  by  any 
means  just  so  with  the  first,  for  al- 
though the  principle  of  self-interest 
may  also,  to  some  extent,  exert  an  in- 
fluence, here  it  is  at  a  much  further 
distance  away,  and  consequently  is 
neither  so  active  or  so  potent  in  accom- 
plishing good  results.  Other  effectual 
motors  must  be  applied.  "We  realize  as 
a  fundamental  principle  in  the  govern- 


88 


* 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTDEIST. 


ment  of  nations  that  the  vital  interests 
of  the  State  is  in  the  hands  of  her 
ministers,  and  that  these  should,  as  in 
duty  bound,  be  thoroughly  alive  and 
wide  awake  to  those  interests.  We 
would  humbly  suggest,  therefore,  that 
the  influence  to  be  brought  to  bear 
on  a  people  for  the  advancement  of  any 
great  public  improvement  might  be  : 
1st.  Limited  measures,  bearing  mildly 
on  the  subject  to  be  advanced,  may  be 
I)assed  in  the  Legislature  of  our  country 
advising  and  offering  inducements. 
2nd.  Statistics  and  reports  as  to  the 
actual  state  of  the  country  in  this  par- 
ticular might  be  authorized  to  be  made 
and  sent  in  to  the  minister  of  the  de- 
partment, effected  at  greater  or  less 
intervals  of  time.  Other  forms  of  in- 
ducement and  encouragement  we  shall 
further  consider  subsequently,  but  it  is 
evident  that  simple  means  backed  up 
might  sufficiently  influence  to  move  in 
the  proper  direction.  We  will  now  in 
the  meantime,  as  briefly  as  possible, 
proceed  to  consider  some  of  the  advan- 
tages of  tree  planting. 

And  these  will  appear  to  be  :  1st.  To 
embelish  and  beautify  the  landscape. 
Of  the  force  of  this  statement  we  are 
all  more  or  less  keenly  sensible  whose 
homes  are  happily  cast  in  the  midst  of 
the  attractions.  The  converse  of  this 
is  to  be  witnessed  by  the  denizens  of  the 
trackless  prairies  of  Central  America. 
2nd.  To  provide  for  the  use  of  the  in- 
habitants timber  and  fuel  for  mechanical 
and  domestic  uses.  For  these  purposes 
alone  an  abundance  of  fine  timber  may 
be  the  means  of  saving  to  a  country 
many  millions  in  value  annually.  3rd. 
To  regulate  and  modify  the  climate  of 
the  country.  That  forests  have  an 
effect  upon  climate  is  abundantly  at- 
tested by  the  best  of  proofs.  See  for  a 
full  and  satisfactory  statement  of  this 
whole  matter  ^Hhe  report  upon  forestry'' 
made  to  the  department  at  Washington, 
1877,  by  F.  B.  Hough,  Commissioner. 


We  are  indebted  to  this  admirable  and 
exhaustive  work  for  much  of  our  sub- 
ject. A  work  that  should  be  in  the 
hands  of  every  studious  citizen  of  our 
country.  Though  it  is  not  meant  that 
trees  alone  make  the  conditions  of  the 
climate  of  a  country,  yet  it  is  meant 
that  they  are  important  recognized 
factors  in  the  distribution  and  modifi- 
cation of  climate.  4th.  To  encourage 
and  distribute  rainfalls.  This  phase  of 
the  subject  has  had  given  to  it  much 
scientific  and  mature  attention  of  late, 
and  it  is  a  subject  that  is  in  every  way 
worthy  of  attention,  for  what  matters 
it  though  our  country  be  never  so  fer- 
tile if  our  rainfall  be  insufficient  or  very 
poorly  distributed  1  These  and  each  of 
them  should  be  inducements  or  argu- 
ments abundant  to  the  inhabitants  of 
any  country  to  be  studious  and  lavish 
in  their  efforts  at  tree  planting  in  their 
midst.  Surely  none  of  us  wish  to  have 
brought  upon  us  by  our  own  efforts  the 
converse  of  this  state  of  things  !  For 
a  moment  we  will  now  look  at  the  na- 
ture and  the  extent  of  the  obligation  to 
plant  trees,  and  we  can  get  perhaps  the 
best  view  of  this  kind  of  obligation  by 
considering  it  as  1st,  pecuniary,  2nd, 
physical,  and  3rd,  moral.  The  pecuni- 
ary argument  is  the  money  view  or 
estate  argument,  and  of  course  is  at 
once  a  very  potent  one.  It  may  in- 
clude all  the  direct  advantage  to  be  got 
from  the  trees  in  the  shape  of  fruit, 
and  its  immediate  effects,  also,  in  the 
shape  of  beauty.  This  is  a  very  ex- 
tensive consideration,  and  yet  it  is 
lowest  of  all  the  arguments,  and  con- 
sequently we  bring  it  on  first,  and  also 
because  it  is  the  argument  that  is  most 
readily  appreciated.  It  is  endless  in 
its  relations  to  our  material  interests, 
and  is  therefore  a  fit  and  proper  subject 
for  the  highest  encouragements  of  the 
State,  for  if  it  is  not,  then  what  isl 
The  second  or  physical  argument  gi'ows 
out  of  the  firsts  and  is  somewhat  de- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


89 


pending  upon  it.  It  has  reference 
to  the  pure  animal  or  physical  enjoy- 
ment growing  out  of  the  duty  and 
following  the  practice  of  tree  plant- 
ing, and  may  be  considered  in  its  effects 
aside  from  its  money  value.  In  plant- 
ing trees  we  are  regaled,  invigorated 
and  satisfied  by  their  fruits,  we  are  pro- 
tected, warmed  and  comforted  by  their 
timber,  or  we  are  instructed,  pleased  and 
delighted  by  their  nobility,  grandeur 
and  beauty.  This  argument  is  very 
extensive  in  its  import,  most  readily 
appreciated  and  very  forcible  in  its 
chumcter.  The  third  or  moral  argu- 
ment is  the  product  of  the  two  former 
ones  and  their  consummation.  It  has 
reference  to  the  effect  on  the  character 
of  a  people  thus  enriched  and  ennobled 
by  their  wealth  of  profitable  and  beauti- 
ful trees.  To  say  that  tree  planting 
has  no  moral  side  to  it,  nor  can  have, 
is  to  run  contrary  to  our  experience, 
and  is  bordering  on  the  absurd.  It 
has  !  The  people  who  are  so  abundantly 
eniiched,  both  pecuniarily  and  physi- 
cally, by  an  abundance  of  fruitful  and 
profitable  trees  are  capable  of  higher 
developments  of  moral  character  than 
the  people  who  have  not  these  advan- 
tages. Their  trees  have  the  effect  upon 
them  of  supplying  their  needs  and  of - 
inspiring  their  hearts  with  gratitude. 
Not  the  gratitude  merely  of  the  un- 
tutored Indian  who  roams  in  nature's 
boundless  forests,  unconscious  of  the 
true  character  of  the  benefits  surround- 
ing him,  but  rather  the  gratitude  of 
reflection,  of  enlightenment  and  of  a 
hightened  devotion.  As  we  have  already 
hinted,  we  must  now  very  briefly  glance 
at  the  nature  of  the  encoui*agements 
looked  for  in  this  particular.  This  may 
be  best  stated  in  the  following  order  : 
1st.  Government  premiums  should  be 
offered  for  the  most  extensive,  best  kept 
and  best  bearing  orchards  in  different 
part«  of  the  country,  and  to  be  decided 
by  a  Government  appointed  visiting 
2 


committee.  These  premiums  may  be 
in  cash,  or  they  may  be  in  diplomas, 
or  in  both,  as  the  end  and  object  is 
best  furthered.  And  the  effect  would 
be  very  influential  and  marked  on  the 
destinies  of  the  country.  The  princi- 
pal influence  may  be  ascribed  to  com- 
petition, which  is  a  most  powerful 
motor  in  human  affairs.  2nd.  A  com- 
mutation of  taxes  or  statute  labor  should 
be  granted  from  time  to  time  for  trees 
planted  by  the  roadside,  to  be  deter- 
mined according  to  the  number  and 
value  of  the  trees  planted,  and  properly 
cared  for,  by  an  officer  appointed  for  the 
purpose.  The  influence  of  this  kind 
of  tree  planting  is  very  marked  in  the 
annals  of  a  country,  and  even  the 
traveller  will  tarry  to  bless  his  country 
for  this  generous  and  rich  provision  of 
his  nature.  On  account  of  the  difficulty 
and  danger  of  this  sort  of  tree  planting 
it  needs  and  should  get  special  protec- 
tion for  its  successful  issue.  3rd.  To 
encourage  forest  tree  planting  on  a  large 
scale  over  the  country,  assurance  of 
special  favors  and  rewards  should  be 
publicly  made  known.  These  may  con- 
sist of  commutation  of  all  taxes  for 
more  or  less  years,  according  to  the 
extent,  variety  and  perfection  of  the 
plantation,  to  be  determined  as  before 
by  a  visiting  committee.  Further 
special  premiums  should  be  offered  at 
stated  periods  to  the  owners  of  most 
approved  forest  ti*acts,  to  be  deter- 
mined by  efficient  judges  appointed  for 
the  purpose.  The  influence  of  this 
kind  of  tree  planting  on  a  country  is  so 
great  and  so  lasting  and  widespread 
that  we  lay  special  stress  upon  it. 
Moreover  the  expenses,  difficulties, 
hinderances  and  discouragements  are  so 
constant  and  so  form idablei  that  special 
inducements  and  helps  must  be  sup- 
plied by  the  State,  even  at  some^  sacri- 
fice, in  order  to  accomplish  telling  re- 
sults. By  these  or  similar  means  many 
tracts   of   fine,   thrifty  forestry  would. 


90 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


soon  spring  into  being  over  the  face  of 
our  beautiful  Canadian  landscape  to 
replace  the  sites  of  those  old  primeval 
forests  so  rapidly  disappearing  from 
the  scene.  The  objections  to  this 
kind  of  tree  planting  may  be  stated 
in  brief  to  be :  1st.  Your  teach- 
ing would  depreciate  and  ultimate- 
ly destroy  private  enterprise.  This 
objection  misinterprets  the  force  of  our 
teaching  altogether.  We  do  not  mean 
to  assert  that  the  State  should  do  all 
the  work  and  the  citizens  nothing.  No, 
no  !  We  rather  mean  simply  that  it 
is  the  duty  of  the  State  to  encourage 
private  enterprise,  and  in  every  possible 
way  to  help  the  citizen.  2nd.  Life  is 
too  short  for  such  extended  operations, 
and  we  should  never  see  the  results  of 
our  labor  and  care.  In  part  we 
acknowledge  the  force  of  this  objection, 
and  in  a  larger  part  we  do  not,  for 
though  life  is  short,  as  we  all  sadly 
feel,  yet  many  fine  results  have  been 
seen  by  the  operators  in  this  direction. 
Besides,  the  objection  has  much  of  its 
point  from  a  well  known  selfish  prin- 
ciple influencing  very  many  to  leave  as 
little  as  possible  to  those  who  shall 
come  after  us  for  fear  our  children  will 
never  thank  us  for  it.  3rd.  Our  farm 
is  too  small  to  spare  land  for  tree  plant- 
ing, as  we  want  all  our  soil  for  grain 
raising  and  grazing.  This  objection  is 
positively  absurd  on  the  very  face  of 
it,  as  any  one  traversing  this  country 
over  hill  and  dale  will  readily  see. 
How  many  thousands  of  such  acres  of 
Canadian  soil  are  now  lying  in  a  state 
of  comparative  uselessness  that  might 
advantageously  be  used  for  purposes  of 
tree  growing  li  I  stop  not  to  answer  ; 
we  all  know  they  are  immense.  4th. 
Our  nursery  men  have  not  turned  their 
attention  to  the  matter  of  extensive 
forest  tree  growing,  and  consequently 
trees  are  difficult  to  obtain,  and  beyond 
our    limited   means.      The  force   and 


pungency  of  this  objection  can  be 
readily  dispelled,  like  the  morning 
cloud  that  passeth  away.  Only  let  the 
want  be  felt,  or  gently  hint  that  the 
demand  is  likely  to  occur,  and  the  stock 
can  be  supplied  by  the  million,  and  on 
the  most  liberal  terms ;  and  we  have 
every  confidence  in  the  supply  if  there 
is  only  likely  to  be  a  good  demand. 
5th.  Trees  planted  by  the  roadside 
have  a  tendency  to  impede  ti-affic  and 
to  harbor  wet,  fungus,  &c.  This  objec- 
tion, though  pretty  well  rooted  over 
this  entire  country,  is  mainly  resting 
on  misrepresention,  and  is  contrary  to 
our  experience.  If  proper  kinds  of 
trees  are  properly  planted  by  the  road- 
side, and  moderately  proper  attention 
can  be  given  to  them,  they  will  grow 
up  to  be  the  beauty  and  adornment  of 
our  country,  and  a  source  of  everlasting 
blessing,  and  consequently  cannot  be 
charged  with  the  detriments  objected 
to.  But  6th,  and  lastly.  Trees  in 
blocks  exhaust  the  soil,  and  by  their 
shade  exhaust  neighboring  fields.  In 
answer  we  would  ask,  "  Exhaust  what 
soiH"  for  they  cannot  exhaust  the 
neighboring  fields  to  any  perceptible 
extent,  and  they  positively  enrich  the 
soil  on  which  they  are  now  standing 
by  their  gaseous  and  vegetable  deposits. 
As  for  the  shade  complained  of,  this  is 
so  meagre  that  it  is  scarcely  worthy  of 
a  passing  consideration.  With  these 
objections  and  their  answers,  we  shall 
now  close  our  paper,  and  confidently 
leave  the  resultant  consequences  to  the 
mature  judgments  of  your  mind.  We 
only  regret  that  it  was  not  in  our 
power  to  bring  better  and  more 
thorough  ability  to  bear  on  a  question 
at  once  so  interesting  and  so  important. 
We  hope  yet  to  see  the  day  when  the 
measures  here  recommended  shall  be 
recognized  by  the  authorities  of  this 
country. 

January  18th,  1882. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


91 


THE  MAYFLOWER  TOMATO. 

Those  who  have  seen  the  Tomato 
grown  as  a  garden  vegetable  only,  to 
supply  the  wants  of  the  family,  can 
hardly  be  aware  of  the  important  posi- 
tion which  it  now  occupies  among  mar- 
ket crops.  In  some  localities,  in  fact, 
it  rates  in  importance  before  any  other 
product  of  the  soil.  This  is  owing  to 
the  immense  quantities  used  in  the 
canning  factories,  amounting  in  some 
establishments  to  over  a  million  of  cans 
a  year. 

The  principal  points  to  be  desired  in 
a  Tomato  are  earliness,  firmness,  good, 
uniform  size  and  shape,  bright  color, 
})ure  flavor,  perfect  ripening,  good 
keeping  quality  and  productiveness. 
To  unite  all  these  in  one  variety  has 


The  Mayflower  Tomato. 

been   the  aim   of  originators   of  new 
seedlings. 

The  Mayflower  is  the  latest  compe- 
titor among  these  claimants.     It  was 


raised  by  Mr.  F.  H.  Hosford  of  Ver- 
mont, and  after  several  years*  trial, 
considered  superior,  in  several  respects, 
to  any  of  the  older  kinds.  It  is  very 
early,  ripening  but  a  few  days  later 
than  Little  Gem,  and  averaging  in  size 
about  one-third  larger  than  Acme.  It 
is  of  a  glossy,  bright  red  color,  ripens 
evenly  and  completely  up  to  the  stem, 
is  perfectly  smooth  and  almost  globular, 
slightly  flattened  ;  flesh  solid,  with  few 
seeds,  and  of  a  rich  pure  flavor.  Its 
productiveness  and  shipping  qualities 
are  claimed  not  to  be  equalled  by  any 
other  variety.  The  Massachusetts  Hor- 
ticultural Society,  at  its  last  exhibition, 
held  in  connection  with  the  American 
Pomological  meeting,  awarded  the  first 
prize  for  the  best  new  Tomato  to  the 
Mayflower.         

THE    ESSENTIALS  FOR  SUCCESS  IN 
PEACH    GROWING. 

A  good  degree  of  special  knowledge 
of  the  business,  and  a  taste  suited  for 
the  work. 

Selecting  suitable  land  upon  which  to 
plant.  Land  upon  which  the  peach  has 
grown  within  15  or  20  years  is  unsuit- 
able; wet  land  is  not  good ;  but  moderate- 
ly rich  corn  land  upon  our  high  hills  is 
quite  suitable. 

Continuous  good  culture,  with  hoed 
crops  (if  desired),  for  two  yeai^s,  after 
which  clean  culture  continuously,  and 
no  crop  but  the  peach. 

A  moderate  dressing  of  unleached 
wood  ashes,  ground  bone  and  slacked 
lime  annually.  The  orchards  should 
not  be  forced  to  make  a  heavy  growth 
or  a  late  growth  in  autumn ;  therefore, 
keep  mellow  and  clean  in  early  summer, 
and  stir  the  soil  as  little  as  need  be  after 
August  1. 

Guard  well  against  the  peach  borer. 
To  do  this,  in  May  supply  a  wash  of 
this  nature:  Use  10  pounds  of  good 
lump  lime  and  1  pound  of  sulphur,  slack 


92 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


to  a  proper  whitewash  consistency;  then 
add  2  quarts  of  soft  soap,  or  its  equiva- 
lent of  whale  oil  soap,  and  if  convenient 
thin  down  as  required  with  a  strong 
decoction  of  tobacco.  Having  this,  lay 
bare  the  collar  and  main  roots  of  the 
trees,  forming  a  sort  of  basin  around 
each  tree;  then  with  an  old  broom  wash 
the  exposed  roots,  collar  and  trunk  of 
each  tree.  This  will  be  too  oflfensive  an 
application  for  any  insect,  and  is  also 
healthful.  And  in  November  mound 
up  the  earth  about  the  tree  in  a  small 
cone,  with  one  or  two  quarts  of  wood 
ashes  on  top  as  a  protection  against 
mice,  removing  the  same  in  May, — and 
thus  year  by  year,  repeat. 

If  possible,  mulch  with  some  coarse 
manure  or  other  material  at  setting  in 
of  winter,  not  around  the  trunk  of  the 
tree  but  under  the  outer  branches,  as  a 
safeguard  against  severe  winters  and 
premature  spring. 

Proper  pruning,  and  this  should  em- 
brace judicious  shortening  in. 

As  I  have  already  hinted  we  should 
avoid  a  late  growth  by  not  cultivating 
after  July,  and  also  by  only  a  moderate 
cultivation.  The  peach  tree  should 
neither  be  stinted  nor  forced  into  ex- 
cessive growth.  Avoid  also  heavy  crop- 
ping first,  by  previous  cutting  back  and 
thinning  out  of  superfluous  branches, 
and  again,  if  necessary,  by  thinning  out 
fruit.  But  by  no  means  allow  exhaus- 
tion of  the  trees.  Hence,  feed  the 
young  orchard  moderately,  and  the 
bearing  orchard  fully.  Excessively  rich 
soil  should  not  be  selected  for  the  peach, 
for  rapid  growth  is  quite  likely  to  be 
followed  by  early  decay. — P.  M.  Augue, 
in  iV.  U.  Homestead. 

Early  Pears. — The  following  varieties 
give  a  successive  supply  at  the  North 
from  late  in  July  till  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember :  Doyenn6  d'Et6,  Bloodgood, 
Giffard,  Rostiezer,  Petite  Marguerite, 
Tyson,  Washington,  Bartlett. — Country 
Gentleman. 


CELERY  GROWING. 

One  of  the  most  successful  garden 
crops  that  I  raise  is  celery.  I  raised 
the  past  season  about  5,000  heads,  of 
which  I  lost  about  1,000,  owing  to  the 
winter  setting  in  so  unexpectedly.  The 
4,000  heads  saved  will  bring,  when  all 
sold,  about  $125.  This  was  all  raised 
as  a  second  crop  following  peas,  and  it 
did  not  occupy  more  than  one-fourth  of 
an  acre.  I  also  sold  about  $25  worth 
of  celery  plants.  I  raise  very  nice 
plants  in  the  following  way  : 

I  sow  the  seed  in  a  cold-frame  about 
the  middle  of  April,  and  when  about 
an  inch  and  a  half  high,  I  transplant  to 
beds  four  feet  wide  and  sixteen  in 
length,  setting  the  plants  two  inches 
apart  each  way.  As  soon  as  the  bed  is 
finished,  I  have  frames  made  of  narrow 
strips  of  board  and  lath,  the  lath  being 
their  width  apart.  These  I  place  over 
the  bed  about  eight  inches  from  the 
plants  on  the  top  of  the  stakes,  three  of 
which  are  driven  on  each  side  of  the 
bed.  By  the  use  of  these  frames  the 
plants  enjoy  a  free  circulation  of  air, 
and  are  just  half  the  time  in  the  shade 
(while  the  sun  shines  \  and  will  not 
wilt  or  need  watering,  except  at  time 
of  setting  out.  The  frames  may  be  left 
on  until  the  plants  become  well-rooted. 
Plants  treated  in  this  way  become  very 
fine  and  stocky  in  from  four  to  six 
weeks,  and  may  then  be  taken  up  with 
a  ball  of  earth  as  large  as  a  man's  fist 
adhering  to  each  plant. 

I  transplant  to  the  trenches  from  the 
1st  of  July  to  the  1st  of  August.  The 
trenches  I  make  very  shallow,  about 
two  inches  below  the  surface  after  the 
plants  are  set  out,  some  kind  of  fertilizer 
being  below  the  plants.  I  have  seen 
the  best  results  from  well-rotted  stable 
manure.  I  commence  to  earth  up  as 
soon  as  the  plants  begin  to  spread,  so 
as  to  keep  them  growing  in  an  upright 
position,  taking  care  not  to  choke  them 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


93 


with  too  much  earth  at  one  time.  I 
raise  the  dwarf  varieties,  and  have  found 
the  London  Red  the  best  for  late  keep- 
ing, also  the  best  flavored  according  to 
my  j  udgment.  I  have  the  trenches  four 
feet  apart,  and  the  plants  six  inches 
apart  in  the  trench.  This,  I  think,  is 
as  near  as  is  convenient  for  earthing  up. 
Before  I  commence  to  earth  up  I 
loosen  the  earth  on  each  side  of  the 
trench  with  a  hoe.  I  then  get  down 
on  my  hands  and  knees  astride  of  the 
row,  and,  while  holding  the  stalks  of  a 
plant  together  with  one  hand,  I  draw 
the  earth  up  with  the  other,  pressing  it 
down  firmly  around  the  plant.  The 
best  time  to  do  this  is  when  the  ground 
is  a  little  moist,  but  not  wet.  This 
process  is  called  "handling,"  and  by 
many  it  is  called  hard,  disagreeable 
work ;  but  there  is  no  work  in  the 
garden  that  gives  me  more  genuine 
satisfaction.  This  first  handling  brings 
the  plants  up  nearly  level  with  the  sur- 
face, and  before  the  second  earthing  up 
I  run  a  cultivator  between  the  rows. 
I  commence  to  harvest  the  celery  for 
winter  about  the  first  of  November. 
My  way  of  storing  is  to  make  large 
beds  of  it  on  the  cellar  bottom,  setting 
the  celery  upright,  and  not  too  close 
together,  and  using  earth  enough  to 
cover  the  roots  well.  If  the  cellar  is 
dry  the  beds  may  be  watered  occasion- 
ally, but  in  a  damp  cellar  it  would  not 
be  necessary,  and  would  be  apt  to  induce 
rot. — Rural  New  Yorker. 


THE  CALLA  LILY. 

This  old  plant  is  too  well  known  to 
require  any  extended  notice.  If  the 
bulbs  or  tubers  of  this  lily  be  potted  in 
good  soil  about  the  middle  of  September, 
and  given  a  liberal  supply  of  water  at  all 
times,  it  will  quickly  start  into  growth 
and  give  out  its  fine,  large  flowers  from 
December  to  May.  Manure  water  is 
very   beneficial   to   this   plant.     After 


flowering, gradually  withhold  water,  and 
when  the  foliage  shows  signs  of  decay, 
lay  the  pots  on  their  sides  and  give  no 
further  care  until  time  for  repotting, 
when  the  tubers  should  be  cleansed  of 
the  old  soil  and  repotted  into  new. 
When  grown  in  the  sitting  room  the 
leaves  should  have  an  occasional  spong- 
ing to  prevent  the  accumulation  of  dust. 

THE  TUBEROSE. 

fPoliantfies  TuberosaJ. 

The  original,  single  variety  is  a 
native  of  India,  and  has  for  many  years 
been  grown  in  large  quantities  in 
Southern  France,  where  the  flowers  are 
used  for  manufacturing  perfumery. 

The  double  variety,  which  is  now 
almost  exclusively  used  for  garden  pur- 
poses, is  very  much  superior  to  the 
single  one  in  the  size  and  appearance 
of  the  flowers.  Owing  to  the  easy 
manner  in  which  they  can  be  culti- 
vated, they  are  found  in  almost  every 
garden,  while  their  rich  perfume  and 
clear  white  color  have  made  them  very 
desirable  for  all  sorts  of  floral  designs. 

To  make  the  flowering  of  Tuberoses  a 
success,  it  is  indispensable  to  procure 
sound  bulbs,  of  good  size.  If  the  center 
of  the  bulb,  or  "  flower-germ,"  is  not 
perfectly  sound,  it  is  hopeless  to  expect 
flowers  ;  and  any  bulb,  be  it  ever  so 
large,  that  has  flowered  once,  will  not 
bloom  again. 

It  is  a  common  mistake  among 
amateurs  to  select  the  largest  bulbs, 
when  buying.  Frequently,  the  flower- 
germ  in  large  bulbs  has  been  so  far 
advanced  as  to  get  kilhnl  or  injured  by 
the  drying  process  which  the  bulbs 
have  to  undergo  to  keep  them  sound 
over  winter.  A  medium-sized,  well- 
formed  bulb,  with  a  hard,  sharp-pointed 
neck,  is  the  kind  to  be  recommended, 
as  these  can,  with  proper  treatment,  be 
depended  upon  to  flower  successfully. 
There  is  no  way  of  telling,  in  the  dry 


94 


THE   CA.NADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


bulb,  the  difference  between  the  single 
and  double  variety  ;  the  buyer  is  de- 
pending solely  on  the  honesty  of  the 
dealer.  I  think  it  well,  however,  to 
remark  here  that  it  is  not  always  the 
fault  of  the  dealer  if  what  is  sold  as 
the  double  comes  single.  The  double 
variety  is  only  a  sport  of  the  single  one, 
originally  produced  by  garden  cultiva- 
tion ;  and  it  is  not  a  very  uncommon 
occurrence  to  see  them  running  back 
again,  especially  if  the  bulbs  are  grown 
in  the  same  ground  a  number  of  years. 

Before  planting  the  bulbs,  all  the 
little  bulblets,  or '"sets,"  which  are 
always  attached  to  the  main  bulb, 
should  be  removed,  as  well  as  the 
sprouts  or  eyes  that  may  be  showing 
on  the  sides  of  the  bulb.  By  this  opera- 
tion all  the  strength  and  nourishment 
that  are  contained  in  the  bulb  will  be 
preserved  for  the  development  of  the 
flowers. 

The  proper  time  for  planting,  in  this 
vicinity,  is  the  latter  part  of  May  or 
beginning  of  June.  It  is  of  no  advan- 
tage to  plant  Tuberoses  before  the  soil 
is  thoroughly  warm.  The  bulbs  should 
be  placed  at  least  three  inches  under 
the  surface  of  the  soil,  and  will  do  best 
in  rich,  warm,  sandy  ground,  exposed 
to  the  full  sun. 

If  wanted  for  early  flowering,  the 
bulbs  may  be  planted  about  the  first  of 
March,  in  small  pots,  with  clear  sand 
or  sandy  soil,  placed  in  a  hot-bed,  and 
replanted  in  larger  pots,  with  rich  soil, 
as  soon  as  started.  They  must  not  be 
planted  out,  or  left  uncovered,  before 
the  end  of  May. 

The  ^'  Pearl "  Tuberose,  a  variety  of 
later  introduction,  and  in  general  re- 
spects similar  to  the  old  double,  bears 
somewhat  larger  flowers,  on  consider- 
ably shorter  and  stronger  stalks.  Al- 
though the  flowers  of  this  variety  do 
not  keep  as  long  as  those  of  the  old  kind 
— a  consideration   of  some  importance 


to  the  professional  florist — its  dwarf 
habit  makes  it  most  valuable  for  green- 
house cultivation. — American  Garden. 


LOST  RUBIES,  THE  MONARCH  OF 
MARKET  RASPBERRIES. 

Few  varieties  of  fruits  have  called 
from  the  press  and  the  people  such 
attention  as  Lost  Rubies.  Its  sugges- 
tive name,  the  uncertainty  hanging  over 
its  origin,  and  its  remarkable  qualifica- 
tions lead  speculative  minds  to  a  wide 
and  suggestive  field  for  thought  and 
controversy.  We  have  fruited  it  six 
years,  and  every  season  it  was  a  surprise 
and  a  wonder  to  us ;  an  enigma  which 
we  sought  to  unravel  by  submitting  it 
to  leading  pomologists,  but  their  evi- 
dence all  went  to  convince  that  Lost 
Rubies  is  a  choice  seedling  of  which  they 
have  no  record.  Coming  to  us,  a  few 
scattering  plants  with  dark,  purple 
polished,  almost  thornless  canes,  with 
evidences  of  aristocracy,  mixed  help- 
lessly with  a  mass  of  bastards — wild 
vagabond  varieties  that  never  set  one 
single  berry,  good  or  bad — the  counter- 
parts of  those  thorny  barren  pests  grow- 
ing in  the  wild  underbrush  by  the  acre, 
we  had  reason  to  believe  we  had  a  choice 
seedling,  but  having  no  absolutely  posi- 
tive evidence  as  to  its  origin,  and  wish- 
ing to  stand  fairly  on  the  records,  we 
stated  from  the  first  that  its  origin  was 
involved  in  obscurity,  and  offered  it  on 
its  merits  alone.  We  are  willing  to 
withdraw  the  cognomen  if  proof  is  given 
that  it  should  be  withdrawn.  Here  is 
a  red  raspberry  possessing  many  of  the 
qualifications  of  foreign  sorts,  livalling 
the  grand  old  Franconia  in  size,  quality 
and  beauty,  yet  in  other  respects  giving 
evidence  of  being  a  native,  ranking  in 
hardiness  and  vigor  next  to  the  iron-clad 
Turner.  Ask  any  fruit  man  if  he  knows 
of  a  bright,  firm,  large  and  superior 
flavored  red  raspberry  that  will  endure 
winters  when  mercury  marks   10  to  20 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


9*5 


degrees  below  zero.  No,  he  will  say 
there  is  no  such  variety.  Well,  Lost 
Rubies  is  just  the  berry  that  fills  the 
bill.  Plant  it  in  a  field  apart  from  all 
other  varieties,  and  it  will  not  exhibit 
its  remarkable  productiveness,  yet  it 
will  yield  well  there.  But  plant  it  in 
blocks,  with  a  row  of  Cuthbert  every 
ten  or  twenty-four  feet,  and  if  your  soil 
is  anything  like  mine  you  will  see  the 
largest  yield  of  fine  fruit  imaginable. 
I  have  not  found  anything  to  equal  it. 
It  ripens  with  the  Brandy  wine,  and  con- 
tinues in  bearing  several  weeks  in  fa- 
vorable seasons;  not  a  few  scattering 
berries,  but  large  pickings  for  market. 
One  need  not  wait  a  year  to  see  its  fruit. 
If  a  few  inches  of  the  old  cane  is  left 
on  at  planting  it  will  bear  fine  specimens 
the  season  planted — an  indication  of  its 
vitality  and  productiveness.  Having 
tested  almost  every  popular  variety,  the 
Lost  Rubies  takes  the  lead  over  all  for  a 
profitable  market  berry. — Fruit  Grower. 

T.  C.  Robinson,  of  Owen  Sound, 
says  :  "  No  one  can  convince  me  that 
Lost  Rubies  is  akin  to  foreign  sorts  ; 
the  leaf  and  cane  are  as  plainly  native 
as  our  Canada  thistle.  I  want  to  plant 
more  of  it." 


BOOK  NOTICES. 

In  Press.  Hough's  Elements  of  Fore.stry. 
Designed  to  aflford  information  concerning 
planting  and  care  of  Forest  Trees  for  orna- 
ment or  profit,  and  giving  suggestions  upon 
the  creation  and  care  of  woodlands,  with 
the  view  of  securing  the  greatest  benetit 
for  the  longest  time.  Particularly  adapted 
to  the  wants  and  conditions  of  the  United 
States.  By  BVanklin  B.  Hough,  Ph.D., 
Forestry  Division,  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture, Washington,  D.C.  1  vol.,  12mo., 
illustrated. 

This  work  is  designed  to  present  a 
concise  outline  of  the  general  subject  of 
Forestry  in  its  various  relations,  and 
e8i)ecially  to  afford  directions  for  the 
planting  and  care  of  trees  in  groves,  or 
as  windbreaks,  or  for  ornament. 


Although  the  range  and  capabilities 
of  species  will  be  noticed,  with  reference 
to  the  whole  country,  and  the  special 
interests  of  other  regions  will  be  inclu- 
ded, particular  attention  will  be  given 
to  the  subject  of  tree-planting  in  the 
Western  States,  and  on  the  borders  of 
the  great  plains,  with  suggestions  as  to 
the  methods  best  adapted  for  securing 
success  under  the  difficulties  there  en- 
countered. 

The  work  will  be  illustrated  by  en- 
gravings in  the  text,  as  the  subject 
may  require.  Technical  details  will  be 
avoided,  and  the  greatest  care  will  be 
taken  that  the  definitions  and  terms 
used  are  concise,  plain,  and  easily  under- 
stood. No  theoretical  discussions  wil[ 
be  introduced,  and  no  statements  but 
those  founded  upon  approved  authority. 

The  author  has  been  several  years, 
and  is  now,  engaged  under  an  appoint- 
ment from  the  General  Goveniment  in 
investigating  the  subject  of  Forestry  in 
the  Department  of  Agriculture,  and  his 
reports,  published  by  oi-der  of  Congress, 
have  received  the  approval  of  the  high- 
est authorities  upon  Forestry  in  Europe. 
They  were  awarded  a  Diploma  of  Honor 
at  the  International  Geographical  Con- 
gress at  Venice  last  autumn.  Robert 
Clarke  &  Co.,  Publishers,  Cincinnati,  O. 


Blackberkies. — The  Snyder  is  gaining 
popularity  on  account  of  its  great  hardi- 
ness and  productiveness.  Ellwanger  & 
Barry  regard  it  the  best  for  family  use, 
for  although  only  moderate  in  size,  it 
ripens  thoroughly  throughout  without  the 
unripe  core  of  some  other  sort.«i,  and  it  is 
very  pleasant  in  quality.  The  Kittatinny 
had  become  a  general  favorite  before  it 
was  known  to  be  so  liable  to  the  yellow 
rust,  the  fruit  being  better  and  the  canes 
hardier  than  the  Rochelle.  Wilson  has 
long  been  the  great  market  blackberry  of 
New  Jersey,  but  farther  north  it  does 
not  endure  the  winter.  Our  plants,  after 
bearing  a  few  times  a  large  and  not  very 
good  berry,  gradually  perished  during  the 
successive  winters. — Country  Oentleinan. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


SHELLING  PEAS. 

Pink  sun-bonnet  hanging  down  ; 
O'er  a  fair  face  lialf  a  frown  ; 
Basket  tipped  up  on  her  knees- 
Maiden  busy  shelling  peas. 

Looking  o'er  the  garden  wall, 
Youthful  figure,  straight  and  tall, 
Lounges  with  a  careless  grace, 
Straw  hat  pushed  off  sunny  face— 

And  a  pair  of  lazy  eyes 
Look  with  cool  and  calm  surprise 
On  the  lingers  jjlump  and  white 
Shelling  peas  with  ail  their  might. 

"Such  a  busy  little  bee 
Puts  to  shame  poor  thriftless  me  !" 
And  a  yawn,  half  made,  half  real. 
To  these  words  gave  sign  and  seal. 

Pink  sun-bonnet  nods  assent. 
Fingers  give  the  pods  a  rent. 
As  though  saying,  "  Were  these  you, 
I'd  soon  show  you  what  I'd  do  I" 

"  So  you  think  I  ought  to  be 
Quite  ashamed  of  this  'poor  me,' 
Who  bewails  his  lazy  lot 
And  to  better  it  tries  not?" 

Pink  sun-bonnet  gives  a  nod. 
Cracks  a  fresh  new  glistening  pod. 
Which,  exploding,  seems  to  say, 
Answering  for  her,  boldly,  "  Yea." 

Lazy-eyes  dart  a  quick  look. 
Naught  but  silence  will  they  brook  ; 
Bending  closer  they  peer  down 
'IS  oath  the  bonnet's  clumsy  crown — 

"  I  would  toil  and  strive  each  hour. 
Working  with  a  will  and  power. 
Had  I  aught  to  work  hard  for— 
Some  sweet  bright  reward  in  store." 

Pink  sun-bonnet  laughs  out  now. 
And  the  face  is  all  aglow. 
As  she  answers,  pointing  down 
To  her  basket  with  a  frown — 

"  Lots  of  shell  and  little  peas  ; 
Words  are  well  and  sometimes  please  ; 
But  words  are  shell— it's  fruit  we  need : 
Talk  is  easy— prove  by  deed  ! " 

Quick  the  lazy  eyes  flash  fire. 
And  the  owner  bends  down  nigher. 
Till  the  color  in  his  cheeks 
Fades  and  flickers  as  he  speaks— 

"  Ah,  but  'tis  within  the  shells 
That  the  perfect  fruit  first  dwells  : 
All  my  words  I'll  prove  quite  true. 
If  my  REWARD  may  be  you  ! " 
Pink  sun-bonnet's  still  and  dumb ; 
Busy  fingers  quite  o'ercome  ; 
l)r.»p  the  basket  off  the  knees. 
And  down  roll  the  half-shelled  peas. 
*'  See,  you  work  in  vain  alone— 
Without  HELP  nought  can  be  done  ; 
May  I  then  through  our  lives  be 
Helpmate  to  you  loyally  ? " 
Two  brown  hands  clasp  fingers  white  ; 
Lazy-eyes  grow  clear  and  bright ; 
Pink  sun-bonnet  'gainst  her  will. 
Looks  up  with  cheeks  pinker  still, 
And  again  it  gives  a  nod — 
Then  a  noise  !    Was  it  a  pod? 
Something  sounded.    Aa  you  please. 
It  all  happened— Shelling  Peas. 


DOMESTIC  RECIPES. 

Orange  Syrup. — To  one  cup  of  the 
juice  of  ripe  thin-skinned  oranges  add 
one  and  a  half  cups  of  powdered  sugar, 
boil  and  skim,  when  cold  bottle  and  put 
in  a  cool  place.  Fine  for  flavoring  cus- 
tards or  pudding  sauces. — Aaron's  Wifb, 
in  Prairie  Farmer. 

Lemon  Jumbles. — Ingredients  :  Eggs, 
one  ;  sugar,  one  teacup  ;  butter,  two- 
thirds  teacup  ;  milk,  three  teaspoonsful  ; 
cream  tartar,  one  teaspoonful ;  soda,  one- 
half  teaspoonful  ;  lemons,  two  ;  flour. 
Use  the  juice  of  both  lemons  and  grated 
rind  of  one  ;  mix  rather  stiff,  roll  out,  and 
cut  with  cake  cutter. 

Baked  Tomatoes. — Sprinkle  a  layer  of 
bread  crumbs  into  a  yellow  nappy  or  a 
baking  dish,  and  spread  over  it  a  layer  of 
chopped  raw  tomatoes,  seasoned  with  pep- 
per and  salt,  and  bits  of  butter.  Fill  up 
the  dish,  having  the  upper  layer  of  bread 
with  bits  of  butter.  Bake  for  three-quar- 
ters of  an  hour.  An  excellent  breakfast 
relish. 

Apple  Pancakes. — Ingredients  :  Ap- 
ples, twelve  ;  eggs,  twenty  ;  cream,  one 
quart ;  cinnamon,  two  drachms  ;  nutmeg, 
two  drachms  ;  ginger,  two  drachms  ; 
crushed  lump  sugar,  six  drachms.  Peel 
the  apples,  cut  in  round  slices  and  fry  in 
butter.  Beat  up  the  eggs  in  the  cream, 
add  the  spice  and  sugar  and  pour  over 
the  apples. 

French  Vegetable  Soup. — To  a  leg 
of  lamb  of  moderate  size  take  four  quarts 
of  water.  Of  carrots,  potatoes,  onions, 
tomatoes,  cabbage  and  turnips,  take  a  tea 
cup  each,  chopped  fine  ;  salt  and  pepper 
to  taste.  Let  the  lamb  be  boiled  in  this 
water.  Let  it  cool  ;  skim  off  all  fat  that 
rises  to  the  top.  The  next  day  boil  again, 
adding  the  chopped  vegetables.  Let  it 
boil  three  hours  the  second  day. 

Cranberry  Roll. — One  quart  flour,  one 
heaped  teaspoon  baking  powder,  sifted  to- 
gether ;  mix  into  a  soft  dough  with  sweet 
milk  ;  roll  thin  and  spread  over  it  a  pint 
of  cranberries,  and  a  cup  and  a  half  of 
sugar  ;  roll  it  over  and  over  into  a  roll, 
and  put  loosely  into  a  pudding  bag,  and 
put  in  the  steamer  over  a  kettle  of  boiling 
water,  and  steam  one  hour.  Serve  with 
a  rich  sweet  ?ance. — Aaron's  Wife,  in 
Prairie  Farmer. 


printed  at  the  steam  press   ESTAULISHMEKT  of  COPP,  CLARK   k  CO.,  OOLBORNE  STREET,  TORONTO. 


CHRYSANTHEMUMS 


THE 


VOL.  v.] 


MAY,  1882. 


[No.  5. 


CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 


The  colored  plate  which  adorns  the 
present  number  will  make  our  readers 
acquainted  with  three  distinct  sections 
of  this  showy  flower — the  Japanese, 
Pomiwn,  and  the  Chinese.  Figures 
seven  and  nine  indicate  the  Japanese 
variety,  nine  being  the  large  white 
flower  so  prominent  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  group ;  one  and  two  are  yellow 
and  rose-colored  Pompons,  and  the 
remainder  belong  to  the  Chinese  sec- 
tion. 

In  our  climate,  except  in  the  sections 
where  the  autumnal  frosts  are  post- 
poned quite  late  by  the  modifying  in- 
fluences of  large  bodies  of  water,  the 
Chrysanthemum  needs  to  be  brought 
into  the  conservatory  or  cool  greenhouse 
in  order  to  enjoy  their  bloom.  Their 
season  of  flowering  is  late  in  the  autumn, 
and  on  that  account  an  almost  indis- 
pensable plant,  making  the  conservatory 
gay  with  its  crimson  and  gold,  when 
there  is  scarcely  any  other  plant  in 
bloom. 

It  is  of  easy  culture,  growing  readily 
from  cuttings,  or  suckers,  or  divisions 
of  the  roots,  yet  it  has  seemed  to  the 
writer  that  the  best  results  are  obtained 
by  growing  them  from  cuttings.     These 


may  be  taken  off"  in  the  spring,  and  as 
soon  as  they  are  rooted  put  into  small 
pots,  from  which  they  should  be  shifted 
to  larger  when  their  growth  requires  it. 
A  six  inch  pot  is  large  enough  for  the 
last  shift,  in  which  they  can  remain 
until  they  have  bloomed.  They  should 
never  be  allowed  to  flag  for  want  of 
water,  but  be  plentifully  supplied  all 
the  time  they  are  growing  and  blooming. 
Nor  do  they  thrive  as  well  in  great  heat 
as  when  kept  in  a  cool  place  where 
they  can  have  plenty  of  air. 

After  the  young  plant  has  got  well 
established  in  the  small  pot  and  has 
attained  a  height  of  five  or  six  inches, 
the  terminal  bud  or  top  of  the  plant 
should  be  pinched  off*,  so  as  to  make  the 
plant  throw  out  branches,  and  as  these 
branches  extend  they  will  also  require 
to  be  pinched  in,  so  that  a  bushy  and 
symmetrical  form  may  be  secured.  By 
the  middle  of  August  this  pinching 
must  be  relinquisheil,  so  that  the  plant 
may  form  its  flowering  buds  in  season 
for  its  autumnal  display. 

The  soil  in  which  the  plants  are 
grown  should  be  well  enriched  with  old 
and  thoroughly  rotted  manure;  that 
from  the  cow-stable  is  usually  preferred, 


98 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


and  used  in  the  proportion  of  one  half, 
the  other  half  being  good  loam.  An 
addition  of  finely  ground  bone,  if  con- 
venient, will  not  be  amiss,  nor  would 
an  occasional  watering,  say  once  a  week, 
with  manure  water,  be  unacceptable  to 
the  plants.  They  will  bear  liberal  treat- 
ment, and  abundantly  repay  your  care 
in  the  profusion  and  wealth  of  bloom. 

It  is  not  worth  while  to  take  the 
pains  necessary  to  grow  them  from  seed. 
They  are  comparatively  inexpensive,  and 
can  be  had  of  the  florists  of  such  colors 
and  forms  as  may  be  preferred.  Besides, 
new  varieties  are  being  constantly 
produced,  which  crowd  out  the  older 
sorts,  and  one  always  wants  the  newest, 
even  though  they  may  not  be  any 
better  than  their  predecessors. 

One  who  has  seen  a  well  ordered 
exhibition  of  Chrysanthemums,  when 
the  hall  is  filled  with  well  grown  plants, 
each  one  a  mass  of  bloom,  so  that  the 
room  is  ablaze  with  the  gorgeous  dis- 
play ;  one  who  has  seen  such  a  show 
does  not  wonder  that  the  Japanese  have 
their  Chrysanthemum  festival.  In 
that  mild  climate  and  with  their  garden- 
ing skill,  these  showy  flowers  are 
produced  in  great  perfection  and  in  most 
lavish  profusion,  so  that  in  their  season 
the  whole  Island  is  bright  with  their 
beauty.  It  must  be  worth  a  voyage  to 
Japan  to  have  the  pleasure  of  enjoying 
the  floral  display  which  is  presented  to 
the  lover  of  flowers  in  that  equable 
climate,  where  the  Japanese  Iris,  Japa- 
nese Lilies  and  Japanese  Chrysan- 
themums in  acres  of  beauty  delight 
the  eye. 


OPINIONS  OF  MEMBERS. 

We  are  very  much  pleased  with  the 

improved  appearance  and  size  of  the 

Horticulturist,  and  the  Annual  Report 

IS   exceedingly    interesting    and    very 

valuable.  Henry  Wightman. 

Marnock. 

The  Horticulturist  becomes  more 
interesting  every  number.  Since  the 
introduction  of  flowers,  I  find  it  becomes 
more  so  to  wife  and  daughters,  and 
others  interested  in  that  line  of  study. 

Wm.  Gillett. 
Marchmount. 

I  am  glad  to  see  the  improvement 
in  the  Horticulturist  this  year,  and  I 
think  the  Directors  deserve  a  hearty 
support  for  their  enterprise  in  giving 
the  III  mbers  so  much  for  tlieir  money* 

H.  C.  Finch. 
Mecunoma.  Muskoka. 

I  am  well  satisfied  with  the  Hor- 
ticulturist;  every  one  who  cultivates 
fruit  should  have  it.  In  it  I  find  a 
great  deal  of  useful  information.  The 
Brighton  grape  you  sent  me  was 
received  in  good  condition  and  grew. 

J.    B.    BURK. 
Brougham. 

Enclosed  I  send  you  my  subscription 
to  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association  of 
Ontario.  I  consider  that  the  best  spent 
dollar  I  lay  out  in  the  year.  The 
Canadian  Horticulturist  has  very  much 
improved  of  late.  I  take  two  American 
agricultural  papers,  but  they  do  not 
seem  half  so  practical  as  your  paper. 
Your  list  of  grapes  that  would  suit 
Ontario  was  a  timely  article,  and  your 
plates    showing   how   they   should   be 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


99 


trimmed   are    worth    their   weight   in 

gol^l-  R.  Lewis. 

Maitland. 

I  am  not  surprised  to  see  so  many 
expressing  their  satisfaction  at  the 
improved  size  and  appearance  of  the 
Iforticulturist,  and  I,  in  common  with 
all  (I  hope)  of  your  readers,  consider 
so  valuable  a  book  well  worth  pre- 
serving for  future  reference,  and  here 
propose  to  give  some  practical  instruc- 
tions of  the  manner  of  keeping  the 
year's  numbers  in  compact  form.  First, 
if  the  paper  is  folded  when  received,  it 
should  be  placed  against  a  warm  stove 
pipe,  or  something  warm,  and  rubbed 
with  the  hand  till  the  crease  disappears, 
then  it  will  be  in  better  shape  to  read 
and  lay  away.  When  all  the  numbers 
are  received  at  the  end  of  the  year, 
strip  off  all  the  outside  covers,  placing 
the  illustrations,  index  and  title  page 
in  their  proper  places,  and  the  backs 
all  true,  then  take  stove  pipe  wire,  or 
any  soft  wire,  make  two  or  three  staples 
about  half- inch  wide,  and  long  enoujjh 
to  go  through  the  book  and  clinch ; 
make  holes  as  near  the  back  of  the 
book  as  possible  with  a  brad-awl  to  suit 
the  width  of  staples,  which  put  through 
and  clinch  with  the  handle  of  the  awl, 
using  pressure  only;  but,  of  course, 
cutting  away  any  surplus  wire  before 
the  clinches  are  closed  down.  Now 
prepare  and  glue  a  double  fly  sheet  to 
each  side  over  the  staples,  being  careful 
not  to  put  on  a  strip  of  glue  more  than 
just  sufficient  to  cover  the  staples. 
Any  strong  manilla  paper  is  preferable 
to  white  tea  or  printing  paper.  Be 
sure  to  have  the  fold  on  a  straight  line 
with  the  back,  as  this  is  to  form  the 
inside  of  the  hinge  to  the  back.  Cut 
some  card-board  just  the  size  for  the 
covers,  which  glue  to  the  fly  sheet,  but 
keeping  the  edge  of  the  card-board  back 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  to  form  a  hinge  at 


the  back,  and  press  all  firmly  between 
two  boards  in  the  vice  of  work-bench. 
As  soon  as  the  glue  will  hold,  cut  a 
strip  of  binders'  cloth,  green  or  buff 
window  hoi  land,  the  length  of  the  book» 
and  wide  enough  to  cover  the  back  and 
catch  the  sides  a  half- inch  or  more,, 
which  glue  fast  to  the  back,  bringing 
over  the  edges  to  catch  the  card-board 
on  each  side.  JNIake  this  tight  and 
smooth,  press  again  and  smooth  down 
the  back,  and  press  the  cloth  in  to  form 
hinges.  While  standing  for  a  few 
minutes  select  two  of  the  cleanest  out- 
sides  that  had  been  stripped  from  the 
monthly  parts,  cut  the  edges  true  and 
glue  on  to  the  covers  of  the  book,, 
leaving  a  small  strip  of  the  cloth  at  the 
back  exposed.  On  my  last  year's  I 
used  the  cover  that  contained  the 
officers  for  1882  for  back.  The  month, 
can  be  erased  from  the  title  page  with 
a  common  ink  eraser,  or  fine  emery 
cloth.  After  it  is  dry  cut  all  down 
true  with  a  sharp  chisel,  first  having 
the  leaves  firmly  compressed  between 
two  boards.  The  edge  of  the  chisel' 
should  be  a  little  rough,  and,  of  coui*se, , 
drawn  lengthwise.  If  all  has  been 
done  with  any  taste,  you  will  be  proud 
enough  of  your  book  to  show  it  to  your 
neighbour,  and  likely  get  him  to  become 
a  member.  In  this  way  I  bind  my 
Catalogues,  American  Agriculturist,. 
Rural  New  Yorker^  &c.,  which  I  find 
more  convenient  than  to  have  them 
lying  about  my  room. 

I  have  invariably  found  my  best 
bunches  of  gnijies  nearest  the  ground. 
Last  year  I  trained  very  low,  and 
found  that  on  our  warm,  dry  soil, 
grapes  ripen  more  regularly,  earlier, 
and  give  finer  bunches,  than  if  trained 
against  a  wall  to  bake  in  the  sun,  as. 
some  of  mine  did  last  year  All  this 
suggests  low  trellis  and  low  training. 

J.    P.    COCKBURN. 
Gravenhurst,  Muskoka. 


100 


THE   CANADIAN   H0RTI0ULTUKI8T. 


REPORTS  ON  TREES  RECEIVED. 

I'm  overwhelm'd  with  grateful  feeling, 
Until  my  mind  is  past  concealing  j 
This  saying  surely  you  believe, 
•*  To  give  is  better  than  receive." 
That  book  itself,  with  such  a  store 
Of  information,  is  worth  more 
Than  all  we  give  besides  the  rest — 
Trees,  plants  and  horticulturist. 
And  then  the  trees  have  done  so  well, 
Their  value  I  can  hardly  tell, 
Except  the  golden  grimes  by  name 
AVas  dead  and  dry  before  it  came. 
Then  grapes  and  rasps  and  seedling  glas 
My  expectation  did  surpass. 
If  every  person  did  but  know 
The  gain  and  pleasure  they  forego, 
They  would  come  all  with  such  a  rush 
Your  institution  they  would  crush, 
For  it  would  be  in  vain  to  try 
So  many  thousands  to  supply  ; 
Then  just  keep  quiet,  or  I  fear 
You  may  endanger  your  career. 

William  Brown. 


With  respect  to  my  eight  years' 
experience  as  amateur  fruit  grower  in 
the  Town  and  City  of  St.  Thomas,  East, 
Pears  for  general  culture  for  profit  I 
strongly  endorse  the  ( 1 )  Flemish  Beauty, 
(2)  Bartlett,  (3)  Clapp's  Favorite,  it  has 
blighted  some  with  me.  Duchesse  as 
dwarf  succeeds  well.  The  Sheldon  is  a 
fine  flavored  pear.  The  Vicar  blighted 
badly,  I  had  to  cut  it  down.  The 
Clapp's  Favorite  I  received  some  years 
since  is  now  a  fine  tree,  has  borne 
sparingly  three  years.  The  flavor  is 
exquisite  when  picked  early  and  ripened 
in  the  house.  Great  care  must  be  taken 
not  to  allow  them  to  ripen  on  the  tree, 
as  they  rot  from  the  core  and  lose  all 
flavor.  Grapes — I  have  met  with  the 
best  success  here  with  Concord  and 
Agawam.  I  have  also  fruited  the 
Barry,  Merrimac  and  Salem.  The 
above  Rogers  Grapes  were  badly  killed 
on  the  trellis  through  the  severe  frosts 
of  last  winter.  I  also  lost  many  Plums 
from  the  same  cause.  I  cannot  write 
•well  of  the  Eumelan.  I  think  it  a 
poor,  insipid   grape.     The   Burnet   is 


with  me  a  very  slow  gi-ower,  has  not 
fruited  yet.  The  best  point  I  see  in  it 
yet  is  a  very  pretty  leaf  The  Down- 
ing Gooseberry  throve  well  with  me 
until  cut  off  by  frost  last  winter.  I  do 
not  think  it  is  to  be  compared  with  the 
Houghton  for  cultivation,  though  the 
Downing  berry  is  larger,  I  think  it 
lacks  the  flavor  of  the  Houghton.  Lee's 
Prolific  Currants  I  do  not  find,  after 
two  years'  gi-owth,  to  exceed,  if  equal, 
Black  Naples.  In  Crab  Apples  the 
Hyslop  and  Soulard  are  by  far  the 
finest  fruiters  and  growers.  The  Sen- 
asqua  Grape  of  last  year  did  not  start. 
The  Ontario  Apple  has  done  well  in 
growth,  but  not  fruited  yet.  In  shrubs 
I  can  especially  recommend  Hydrangea 
Grandiflora  for  hardiness,  length  of 
blooming  season  and  beautiful  appear- 
ance. I  am  pleased  to  write  that  I 
received  Eight  First  and  Second  Prizes 
at  the  Southern  Counties  Fair,  1880, 
for  fruit  grown  by  myself  (not  col- 
lected). My  stock  of  knowledge  was 
gained,  to  a  large  extent,  from  yearly 
reports  and  monthly  papei-s  of  IJorti- 
culturist.  I  find  the  Dominion  Straw- 
berry a  useful  variety,  the  cro{>  coming 
in  when  the  Wilson  is  failing.  I 
believe  the  Sharpless  a  good  acquisition 
to  our  list  of  good  croppers.  Excuse 
lengthiness,  from  yours  truly, 

Henry  N.  Reading, 
St,  Thomas.  Machinist. 


A  TIMELY  HINT. 

A  very  creditable  appearance  our 
little  journal  makes  now.  And  it  is  a 
token  for  good  to  see  more  of  our  mem- 
bers giving  us  the  benefit  of  their 
experience. 

"  In  the  multitude  of  counsellors  there  is 
safety. " 

Some  keen  observers  of  cause  and 
effect  may  be,  as  wee  Scotch  bodies  say, 
a  wee  hit  blate  (don't  think  the  Editor 


THE  CANADIAN    IIORTICULTURISJ. 


101 


himself  understands  that),  or  they  may 
not  be  blessed  with  the  pen  of  the  ready 
writer;  but  let  me  assure  them  our 
Editor  is,  even  if  he  does  not  under- 
stand the  Scotch  dialect.  Let  us  have 
the  results  of  your  experiments,  your 
failures  and  successes  ;  he'll  bring  them 
all  out  in  shape  becoming  his  sheet. 

John  Croil. 
Aultsville. 

KIND  WORDS. 

It  is  gratifying  to  observe  how  very 
much  the  Horticulturist  has  improved. 
The  Association  is  deserving  of  high 
credit.  No  florist  or  horticulturist 
should  be  without  it,  for  it  contains  a 
very  large  amount  of  valuable  informa- 
tion. 

Thomas  Briggs. 

Kingston. 

I  received  the  Annual  Report  for 
1881,  and  am  very  much  pleased  with 
it,  and  think  its  outside  appearance  is 
much  improved. 

FRUIT  IN  THE  ALGOMA  DISTRICT. 

My  home  is  here,  on  St.  Joseph's 
Island,  in  the  District  of  Algoma.  We 
expect  to  have  a  fine  country  here  for 
fruit  growing.  I  planted  some  small 
fruits  last  fall,  such  as  grapes,  berries, 
ike.  ;  my  neighbors  have  also  planted 
more  or  less.  We  settlers  have  only 
been  here  three  or  four  years,  so  not 
much  fruit  has  come  into  bearing  yet ; 
but  we  have  as  good  land  for  fruit- 
raising  as  there  is  in  Canada — rolling 
land,  mellow  soil,  slightly  mixed  with 
limestone  gravel,  easily  cultivated  when 
rid  of  stumps.  Of  course  we  have  a 
great  variety  of  soil,  some  good  and 
some  inferior.  It  is  my  humble  opinion 
that  time  will  bring  us  to  the  front  as 
a  fruit-i*aising  sectio  i. 

Yours  truly, 

Stephen  OADHAy. 


GLADIOLUS  BULBLETS. 

Dear  Sir, — In  your  January  num- 
ber, in  treating  upon  Gladiolus  culture, 
you  state  that  the  small  bulbs  which 
are  found  adhering  to  the  large  bulb 
should  be  kept  out  of  the  ground  one 
whole  season.  Please  give  the  reason 
for  this  in  your  next.  W. 

An  old  Latin  maxim,  learned  in 
boyhood,  seems  to  be  the  best  answer 
to  our  friend's  inquiry  :  Experantia 
docet — Experience  teaches.  It  has  been 
found  by  trial  to  be  a  fact,  that  these 
bulblets  do  grow  much  better  when 
kept  out  of  the  ground  and  allowed  to 
dry  for  one  whole  season  ;  but  why 
this  should  be,  what  reason  is  to  be 
assigned  for  this  fact,  is  probably  not 
known.  It  is  very  natural  to  ask  the 
reason  why,  and  the  inquisitiveness 
that  prompts  the  question,  and  will  not 
be  satisfied  until  it  is  answered,  has  led 
to  the  discovery  of  most  important 
natural  laws,  which  have  been  as  keys 
to  unlock  vast  treasures  of  knowledge. 
Will  *'  W."  please  undertake  the  solu- 
tion of  his  own  question  ;  it  may  open 
up  the  way  to  results  of  great  prac- 
tical value. 


EVAPORATION  OF  FRUIT. 

BY  J.    M.    M'aINSH,    KI8S0URI,    ONT. 

The  question  of  evaporating  fruit, 
especially  a[)ples,  is  now  pressing  itself 
very  forcibly  upon  the  attention  of 
fruit  growers.  I  n  by-gone  years,  while 
good  fruit  was  scarce,  even  summer  and 
fall  apples  could  be  readily  sold  at 
remunerative  prices.  But  now,  while 
good  winter  apples  find  a  ready  sale  to 
ship  to  distant  markets,  summer  and 
fall  apples  are  a  drug.  In  this  locality 
it  is  not  uncommon  for  ])artip^  to  sell 
good  sunnner  and  fall  a]>ples  at  twenty 
cents  a  bag,  and  i)eddle  them  from 
house  to  house  at  that.  The  old  pro- 
cess of  drying  them  on  stnngs  is  a 
very  slow  an<l  imperfect  one,  but  bj; 


102 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


the  improved  process  of  evaporation  a 
really  good  article  can  be  made  either 
for  home  use  or  for  sale. 

As  we  well  know  that  the  E|litor  of 
the  Horticulturht  keeps  himself  in- 
formed on  all  points  relating  to  the 
fruit  growers'  interest,  I  ho})e  he  will 
give  some  information  about  how  to  get 
a  fruit  drying  apparatus.  Could  any 
good  tinsmith  make  one,  or  are  they 
manufactured  anywhere  in  (Janada  ? 
Information  on  these  queries  would 
probably  be  acceptable  to  others  as 
well  as  myself. 

REPLY. 

An  evaporator  was  exhibited  at  the 
Toronto  Industrial  Exhibition  in  Se})- 
tember  last,  which  is  said  to  have 
received  the  First  Prize  and  Diploma, 
and  is  known  as  the  Pacific  Fire-Proof 
Fruit  and  Vegetable  Evaporator.  Mr. 
William  Schram,  of  Waterford,  Nor- 
folk County,  Ontario,  has  one  of  these, 
we  are  told,  and  that  he  says  that  after 
testing  it  and  comparing  its  capacity 
with  other  evaporators,  and  taki)ig  into 
consideration  the  saving  of  fuel  and 
insurance,  he  considers  it  the  cheapest, 
safest  and  most  satisfactory  in  the  mar- 
ket. He  dried  eighty  busliels  of  apples 
in  ten  hours,  producing  four  hundred 
and  eighty  pounds  of  dried  fruit.  We 
believe  that  Mr.  Abraham  Eyckman, 
of  Mill  Grove,  in  Wentworth  County, 
Ontario,  also  has  one. 

There  is  also  a  smaller  evaporator, 
known  as  the  Household  Fruit  and 
Vegetable  Evaporator,  which  is  designed 
for  household  purposes,  for  evaporating 
and  preserving  fruits,  vegetables,  ikc. 
This  is  perhaps  what  our  correspondent 
wants.  It  is  claimed  for  it  that  it  can 
be  used  on  any  cook-stove.  Messrs.  J. 
A.  and  H.  Bartholomew,  Vanessa,  Nor- 
folk County,  Ontario,  are  tlie  manufac- 
turers. We  do  not  knovv  of  any  other 
♦evaporator  that  is  made  in  Canada. 


TREE  PLANTING. 

BY  MR.  WALLBRIDGE,  BELLEVILLE. 

Almost  every  one  does,  or  ought  to, 
set  out  some  trees  every  year.  The 
fall  of  the  year  is  generally  recom- 
mended as  the  best  time ;  it  may  be, 
however,  well  done  in  the  spiing.  As 
this  communication  is  intended  for  bee- 
keepers, it  is  well  to  consider  what  kind 
of  trees  to  plant. 

Basswood  is  certainly  king,  coming 
into  blossom  generally  just  as  White 
Clover  goes  out,  it  fills  an  imj)ortant 
place  in  the  bee-keeper's  profits.  If  the 
Bee-keeper  fails  to  do  well  when  the 
Basswood  is  in  bloom  he  may  count 
upon  a  poor  return  for  that  year.  The 
Linden  and  Lime  are  other  names  in 
England  for  another  variety  of  the  same 
tree.  Its  honey-producing  quality  is 
its  great  recommendation  to  the  bee- 
keeper— but  to  others  it  has  advantages. 
For  beauty,  there  is  no  tree  that  has  so 
large  and  deep-colored  a  leaf,  and  when 
it  attains  its  growth  it  is  valuable  for 
timber.  It  is  used  for  door-i>annelling 
and  in  many  parts  of  carriages  and 
sleighs,  and  its  timber  always  commands 
a  good  price.  It  is  thus  useful  during 
its  growth,  and  at  its  maturity  brings 
a  nice  sum  of  money  for  the  ))urposes 
indicated.  Compare  it  with  the  Maple 
tree,  so  genendly  planted — what  is  that 
worth,  either  during  its  growth  or  at 
maturity,  except  for  firewood.  The 
Basswood  has  a  luxuriant  Southern 
foliage,  and  for  beauty  at  least  is  equal 
to  the  Ma)>le.  Another  tree  of  great 
value  to  the  }>ee-keeper  is  the  Honey 
Locust.  This  tree  comes  in  bloom  quite 
early,  and  is  valuable  on  this  account. 
The  bees  visit  it  almost  in  swarms,  and 
the  lioney  and  pollen  then  brought  in 
gets  up  the  excitement  in  the  hive,  and 
bi-eeding  goes  on  at  a  rapid  pace.  Now 
this  is  the  very  thing  bee-keepers  want. 
They  want  strong  stocks,  ready  to 
gather  honey  when  White  Clover  comes 


THE   CA.NADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Ip3 


in,  and  I  know  of  no  tree  or  plant 
which  does  so  much  to  strengthen  the 
stock  early  as  this  Locust  tree.  Have 
your  stock  strong  early ;  this  is  the 
secret  of  bee-keeping.  Almost  any 
stock  will  become  strong  in  the  White 
Clover  season ;  but  then  the  clover 
honey  is  used  up  in  breeding,  and  you 
don't  get  it  as  surplus.  If  you  have  no 
Locust  trees  in  your  neighborhood,  you 
should  feed  your  bees,  or  abrade  combs 
filled  with  honey  already  in  the  hive, 
changing  combs  to  the  centre  of  the 
brood  nest,  thus  spreading  the  brood 
nest  and  giving  the  queen  an  oppor- 
tunity of  laying,  which  she  will  be  sure 
to  do  if  you  give  her  a  fair  chance. 

Mr.  W.  C.  Wells,  of  Phillipston,  the 
largest  bee-keeper  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  attributes  the  good  success  of 
city  bee-keepers  to  tlie  Locust  trees,  as, 
by  the  good  start  from  them,  we  get 
early  brood,  and  are  thus  ready  with 
strong  stocks  for  the  Clover  and  Bass- 
A^ood  bloom.  Besides  the  timber  of 
the  Locust  tree  is  very  valuable  ;  it  is 
exceedingly  heavy,  a  cubic  foot  of  it 
weighs  about  100  pounds.  It  is  valu- 
able for  waggon  hubs,  cogs  for  mill 
wheels,  and  other  things  requiring  great 
strength  ;  if  used  for  gate  posts  it  is 
exceedingly  durable.  Messrs.  George 
Leslie  <fe  Son,  of  Leslie ville.  Out., 
furnish,  amongst  other  valuable  trees, 
the  Locust  tree,  of  different  varieties. 
They  are  all  valuable,  both  for  honey 
and  timber,  [t  certainly  is  the  wiser 
to  plant  a  tree  which,  on  attaining 
maturity,  is  valuable  as  timber,  than 
to  plant  one  which,  in  the  end,  is  not 
even  valuable  as  a  fence  post,  and  only 
valuable  as  firewood. 

I  am  indebted  to  the  Cana/Jian 
HorticuHuritt  for  valuable  sugges- 
tions on  tree  planting.  The  article  ap- 
pears in  the  February  number,  and  is 
by  Mr.  N.  Robertson,  Government 
It  is  too  long  to 


Grounds,   Ottawa. 


copy  into  this  communication,  but  a 
few  points  may  not  be  amiss.  "  Take 
the  trees  up  so  as  to  destroy  as  few  of 
of  the  roots  as  possible  ;  cut  the  tops 
into  what  is  called  poles,  eight  or  ten 
feet  long,  have  a  good  root,  a  stem  with- 
out blemish,  and  thus  a  rapid  growing 
tree.  Do  not  take  a  scraggy,  stunted 
tree  ;  and  do  not  mind  having  the  tree 
to  stand  as  it  did  before  removed,  but 
place  the  side  having  most  roots  on  the 
side  where  the  wind  will  be  strongest. 
Let  the  hole  in  which  you  plant  be 
much  larger  than  the  roots,  and  draw 
the  roots  out  to  their  full  length.  Be- 
fore you  put  in  the  soil,  do  not  let  the 
roots  get  dry,  but  give  them  a  heavy 
mulch  of  sawdust,  manure  or  straw. 
This  can  be  kept  in  place  by  a  few 
spadesfull  of  earth,  and  pass  the  mulch 
a  foot  on  the  hole  where  the  roots  ai*e. 


THE  BKST  TIME  TO  PRUNE  FRUIT 
TRKES. 

BT  J.    M.    m'aINSH,    NISSOURI,    ONT. 

The  correct  principles  which  under- 
lie the  pruning  of  fruit  trees  are  pro- 
bably as  imperfectly  understood  as  any 
other  point  in  fruit-growing.  Most 
peo[)le  prune  in  the  spring,  some  through 
the  wintei*,  others  in  the  summer. 
Now,  after  carefully  observing  the 
effects  of  pruning  done  at  different  sea- 
sons, I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  best  time  to  prune  is  in  early  sum- 
mer, after  the  fii*st  rush  of  sap  is  past, 
and  l)efore  the  trees  have  made  much 
growth  of  new  wood. 

When  trees  are  pruned  in  winter,  a 
consiilerable  time  must  elapse  before 
the  wounds  made  begin  to  heal  over. 
During  this  time  the  combined  action 
of  the  frost  and  sun  are  itijuriousto  the 
newly-cut  and  exposed  wood  and  bark, 
and  it  will  take  a  longer  time  to  heal 
over  than  if  the  wound  was  made  at 
the  time  when  the  tree  was  beginning 
to  m:ike  new  growth. 


104 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


When  trees  are  pruned  in  early 
spring,  the  sap  is  then  in  a  thin  watery 
state  ;  it  oozes  out  of  the  cut,  causing 
premature  decay  and  permanent  injury 
to  the  tree. 

When  trees  are  pruned  in  early  sum- 
mer, after  the  rush  of  thin  watery  sap 
is  past  and  the  tree  has  fairly  com- 
menced to  make  a  new  growth,  the 
wounds  will  commence  at  once  to  heal 
over.  The  exposed  wood  will  remain 
sound  for  a  longer  period  than  if  cut 
in  early  spring. 

Another  very  important  point  in 
early  summer  pruning  is,  it  does  not 
check  the  growth  of  the  tree,  as  when 
it  is  done  later  in  the  season. 

Some  advocate  pruning  in  July  and 
August,  but  I  would  only  prune  then 
in  cases  where  the  tree  was  making  too 
much  wood  growth,  which  I  wanted  to 
check  and  throw  the  tree  into  a  bear- 
ing state. 

Another  very  important  point  in 
pruning,  and  yet  one  which  is  very 
much  neglpcted,  is  to  cover  the  cuts 
with  some  substance  to  protect  them 
from  the  influence  of  the  weather. 
Common  grafting  wax,  or  a  mixture  of 
clay  and  cow  manure,  is  beneficial  ; 
but  perhaps  the  best  thing,  when  it  can 
be  got  pui-e  and  good,  is  gum  shellac 
dissolved  in  alcohol  to  the  consistence 
of  paint.  A  protection  of  this  kind  is 
always  beneficial  to  newly-pruned  trees; 
it  neutralizes  to  a  great  extent  the  in- 
jurious effects  arising  from  pruning 
trees  at  an  improper  season. 

Wash  for  Fruit  Trees, — Keep  the 
trunks  and  larger  limbs  of  all  fruit  trees 
clean  and  healthy  by  a  wash  composed  of 
one  part  sulphur  fine  as  a  powder,  two 
parts  soft  soap,  one  part  salt,  all  reduced 
by  water  to  the  consistency  of  whitewash, 
and  to  every  bucket  or  three  gallons,  add 
a  half  pint  of  coal  oil.  The  latter  is  con- 
sidered to  be  an  effectual  remedy  against 
the  borer,  curculio,  and  a  preventive  for 
all  insects.  Apply  with  a  whitewash  brush 
or  mop  of  rags  or  sheepskins. 


PRUNING. 

ITS  NATURE  AND   ITS  EFFECT. 

The  practice  of  pruning  is  defined  by 
Webster  to  be,  "  To  lop  or  cut  off  the 
superfluous  branches  of  trees,  to  make 
them  bear  better  fruit  or  grew  higher 
or  to  give  them  a  more  handsome  and 
regular  appearance."  The  implements 
used  in  this  woik  may  be  of  several 
kinds,  to  suit  the  convenience  of  the 
operator,  as  knife  or  axe  or  saw  or 
chisel,  but  all  with  a  view  to  the  same 
ultimate  results.  "This,"  as  Shake- 
speare said  of  horticulture  generally, 
"  is  an  art  that  does  mend  nature."  In 
practice  it  requires  skill  and  much  ob- 
servation, but  the  results  are  usually 
marked  and  very  positive,  sometimes 
so  much  as  to  change  the  entire  future 
life  of  the  plants.  By  means  of  this 
we  have  the  power  not  only  to  mould 
and  form  the  plant  and  direct  it  how  it 
shall  grow  to  ^erve  our  purjjoses,  but 
to  regulate  tlie  amount  and  quality 
of  the  fruit.  By  the  judicious  exercise 
of  this  art  the  tree  is  made  to  be  our 
servant,  to  please  and  to  bless  us. 
Pruning  is  mainly  of  two  kinds,  viz., 
root  pruning  and  branch  pruning,  with 
respect  to  parts  ;  or  winter  and  summer 
pruning,  with  respect  to  time.  It  is, 
however,  quite  evident  that  the  great 
burden  of  pruning,  both  as  to  root  and 
branch,  must  be  done  in  a  time  quite 
free  from  frost.  To  prune  in  the  winter 
for  wood,  and  in  the  summer  for  fruit, 
is  an  old  saying  that  has  j^ainod  cur- 
rency, and  generally  there  is  much  prac- 
tical truth  in  it.  According  to  the 
division  of  our  subject  we  have  first, 

ROOT    PRUNIXG. 

Tliis  mode  of  pruning  consists  theo- 
retically in  contracting  or  circum- 
scribing the  ai-ea  of  root  growth  in  the 
soil.  The  philosophy  of  the  operation 
is,  that  whatever  threatens  to  endanger 
the  lile  of  th"  plaid  will  promote  fruit- 
fidness.     Practically,    this  is   done  in 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTICDLTDRI8T. 


105 


two  ways,  but  the  resulting  effects  of 
both  ways  are  the  same.  First,  by 
digging  to  a  certain  depth  around  the 
tree  and  at  a  certain  diameter,  having 
the  tree  for  the  centre.  The  practical 
effect  of  this  is  to  cut  off  the  fine  fibrous 
or  feeding  roots  and  deprive  the  tree  of 
a  very  large  part  of  its  accustomed 
nourishment,  and  this  threatens  to  en- 
danger its  life  and  the  result  will  be 
fniitfulness.  Second,  by  taking  the 
tree  up  and  removing  it  to  another 
place  the  result  will  be  the  same.  The 
only  material  difficulty  with  these  op- 
erations is  that  they  must,  in  many 
cases,  be  repeated  ;  yet  in  many  cases, 
the  habit  of  fruitfulness  being  com- 
menced, it  may  in  all  probability  con- 
tinue. These  kinds  of  pruiiino:,  how- 
ever, are  seldom  resorted  to  ejccept  in 
extreme  cases,  and  then  only  for  once  or 
twice.     But  we  are  to  notice,  secondly, 

BRANCH    PRUNING. 

This  is  by  far  the  most  common 
method  of  pruning.  Theoretically,  it 
consists  in  lopping  off  many  of  the  buds 
and  some  of  the  branches,  in  order  to 
throw  greater  force  of  vegetable  life  into 
those  that  are  left,  and  the  implements 
used  Jire  those  that  have  already  been 
mentioned.  The  operation  rests  u|x>n 
the  philosophy  that  each  tree  is  fur- 
nisheil  with  a  certain  amount  of  life  force 
to  be  distributed  over  its  entire  suffice, 
and  the  less  the  surface  th»  greater  the 
manifestation,  and  vice  versa.  I  think, 
however,  the  true  philosophy  undoubt- 
edly is  that  the  extended  leaf  surface 
of  the  tree  during  the  previous  }ear, 
has  enabled  it  to  store  up  within  itself 
a  very  large  amount  of  life  force,  or 
food  if  you  please,  and  that  by  contract- 
ing the  demands  by  means  of  pruning, 
the  exhibitions  are  more  demonstrative. 
However  this  may  be,  it  is  most  certain 
that  pruning  has  this  effect  upon  the 
plant.  Branch  pruning  may  result  dif- 
ferently, according  as  it  is  done  when 


the  leaves  are  on  or  when  they  are  off, 
or,  in  other  words,  in  summer  or  winter, 
as  the  one  is  said  to  be  used  for  increased 
fruitfulness  and  the  other  for  increased 
wood  growth. 

SUMMER    PRUNING 

consists  in  going  over  the  trees  or  the 
vines  (this  is  very  much  used  in  grape 
vines),  and  with  the  thumb  and  fore- 
finger pinching  out  the  tip  of  the  young 
growth.  This  pruning  is  sometimes 
called  "pinching,"  from  this  circum- 
stance. By  this  means,  trees  mav  be 
modelled  and  the  growth  directed  in  a 
most  surprising  manner.  Pruning  in 
winter  is  much  more  laborious  and 
complicated,  as  we  have  to  do  with 
matured  buds  and  branches.  It  con- 
sists in  cutting  off  or  out  such  buds  or 
branches  as  are  deemed  unnecessary. 
For  this  kind  of  pruning,  it  is  a  good 
and  very  safe  rule  to  examine  the  trees 
annually  and  properly  direct  the  growth, 
so  that  we  may  never  have  to  cut  out 
very  large  branches  at  any  one  time. 
The  disastrous  effect  on  the  tree  is  thus 
reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  is  not  so 
marked  as  by  cutting  off  large  heavy 
branches  at  once.  The  minutice  of  the 
business  must  be  learned  by  practice, 
under  the  direction  of  a  good  master. 

THE    OBJECT 

of  pruning  may  be  said  to  be  twofold  : 
1st,  To  regulate  or  balance  the  growth  ; 
that  is  by  checking  luxuriant  branches 
and  encouraging  weak  ones  to  push  for- 
ward, and  also  by  encouraging  the 
growth  on  the  sides  of  the  tree  that  are 
deficient.  2nd.  To  form  and  matui-e 
fruit  spurs  and  buds  ;  that  is,  by  check- 
ing luxurious  wood  growth  and  direct- 
ing the  energies  of  the  tree  or  vine  to 
the  formation  of  fruit  spurs  and  fruit 
buds  to  be  developed  in  other  seasons. 
But  the  objects  of  pruning  may  be,  1st, 
To  change  the  size  and  outward  form 
of  the  tree  or  vine.  To  cut  into  less 
prescribed  limits  will  have  the  effect  to 


106 


THE    CANA.DIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


render  more  dense  and  to  sensibly  alter 
the  shape.  By  this  means  trees  and 
vines  can  be  totally  changed  from  their 
natural  habits,  and  towering  trees  be 
made  low  and  open,  spreading  trees 
dense,  and  the  reo^ardless  claniberine: 
vine  be  made  obedient  and  domestic. 
2nd.  To  render  more  enduring  of 
severity  in  cold  climates :  This  is  done 
only  in  the  summer,  and  the  effect  is  to 
more  perfectly  ripen  the  wood  growth, 
and  render  it  hard  and  endurins;  against 
severe  cold.  By  this  means  less  hardy 
trees  can  be  brought  through  success- 
fully and  safely.  3rd.  To  change  the 
bearing  year  :  This  pruning  must  be 
very  st^vere,  and  done  only  in  the  sum- 
mer time.  By  taking  off  all  the  pro- 
spective fruit  and  severely  pruning  or 
checking  the  wood  growth,  the  bearing 
year  may  be  changed  to  suit  our  con- 
venience or  profit.  4th.  To  render 
fruitful :  This  is  best  done  in  the  sum- 
mer, and  is  performed,  as  previously 
described,  by  diverting  the  energies  of 
the  tree  to  the  formation  of  fi-uit  spurs 
and  fruit  buds.  Root  pruning  is  chiefly 
used  for  producing  this  much-desired 
object.  ]3ut  5th,  and  lastly,  the  object 
may  be  to  develop  and  perfect  higher 
standards  of  fruit.  The  philosophy  of 
this  proposition  is  very  easily  shown, 
for,  granting  the  tree  to  have  a  certain 
amount  of  energy  to  develop  samples  of 
fruit,  the  less  the  samples  the  higher 
the  development.  This  is  demonstrated 
in  practice.  The  results  are,  increased 
siz'%  or  increased  beauty  of  appearance, 
or  iucreased  flavor,  or  each  and  all  of 
these  ;  the  prices  also  are  better  and 
the  rewards  greater. 

We  have  very  hurriedly  and  very 
imperfectly  gone  over  the  most  im- 
portant points  connected  with  the  art 
and  practice  of  pruning.  Our  object  is 
that  it  may  in  some  slight  degree  further 
the  interest  of  our  Canadian  Horti- 
culture, a  great  national  interest  that 
we  are  so  intensely  concerned  about.  We 


are  most  heartily  glad  of  the  gigantic 
strides  already  made  in  this  benevolent 
art  whose  object  is  rto  beautify  and 
adorn,  to  elevate  and  enrich. 

B.    GOTT, 
Arkona  Nurseries,  Jan.  2nd,  1882. 


ROTTING  OF  TOMATOES. 

I  have  been  interested  in  the  corres- 
pondence on  the  rotting  of  Tomatoes. 
The  extract  from  the  Gardeners'  Chron- 
icle given  in  your  December  number,  if 
carefully  looked  at,  will  be  found  to  be 
no  answer  to  the  enquiry  made.  It  is 
established  that  as  soon  as  the  vitality 
of  organized  matter  is  affected,  decay 
sets  in  and  fungoid  growth  finds  its 
habitat  there.  It  has  been  my  ambition 
to  be  early  in  Tomatoes,  and  I  have 
found  much  disappointment  in  finding 
the  young  fruit  withering  and  spoiled 
by  spotting,  with  all  the  appearance  of 
what  is  called  "  sun-scalds,"  though,  as 
the  writer  asserts,  they  cannot  be  that, 
as  the  crown  of  the  fruit  hangs  down- 
wards ;  nevertheless  I  opine  that  the 
sun  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the 
spotting,  and  that  the  stunted  fruit  is 
caused  by  the  drying  up  of  the  plant 
from  a  want  of  moisture.  Last  season, 
as  usual,  my  vines,  while  pushing  well, 
and  ahead  of  my  fellow-amateur  friends, 
made  no  sensible  progress,  as  fruit  after 
fruit  spotted,  dwindled  and  died ;  but 
adjoining  my  cucumber-frame,  which  I 
kept  well  watered,  f  noticed  that  those 
Tomatoe  plants  which  came  in  for  a 
share  from  the  garden-hose  were  en- 
tirely free  from  any  blemish,  and  the 
plants,  moreover,  looked  healthier. 
Taking  a  hint  thereby,  I  regularly 
watered  the  lot,  and  was  troubled  no 
more  with  spotty  Tomatoes,  the  fruit 
large  and  handsome  and  in  great  abun- 
dance. 

Having  had  only  one  season  for  ex- 
perimenting, I  do  not  assert  that  water 


THE    CANADIAN    H0RTICULTUEI8T. 


'107 


is  a  cure  for  si)ottiness,  but  the  results 
in  my  case  are  somewhat  suggestive. 

Has  anybody  else  anything  to  say  on 
the  matter  which  will  give  light  and  be 
of  practical  service  in  growing  tomatoes. 

Richard  Baigent. 


THE  JEFFERSON  GRAPE. 
Charles  Downing  says  : — This  new, 
handsome  and  excellent  grape  is  a  cross 
of  the  Concord  and  lona ;  it  is  healthy, 
very  vigorous  ;  wood  rather  short- 
jointed  ;  leaves  large,  thick  and  downy  ; 
very  productive  ;  bunch  large,  shoul- 
dered, often  double  shouldered ;  com- 
pact, berry  medium  to  large,  roundish 
oval  ;  skin  rather  thick,  light  red,  with 
a  thin,  lilac  bloom  ;  flesh  melting,  yet 
tender,  juicy,  sweet,  slightly  vinous, 
aromatic  and  rich  ;  the  berries  adhere 
strongly  to  the  pannicle,  and  the  fruit 
maintains  its  freshness  for  a  long  time 
after  being  gathered.  It  is  of  fine 
quality,  and  very  promising  either  for 
market  or  home  use.  It  ripens  about 
the  time  of  Concord. 

J.  J.  H.  Gregory  says  : — A  rare  good 
grape,  the  Jeffei-son.  Among  the  score 
or  moj-o  of  new  grapes  before  the  ])ub- 
lic,  this  seedling  of  Mr.  Ricketts  stands 
out  so  excef)tionally  good  that  I  ^^ve 
purchased  several  for  my  own  groSPds, 
and  can  recommend  it  to  my  patrons. 

The  judges  at  the  Lynchburg,  V;i., 
Agricultural  Fair  in  1880,  say  :— The 
Jefff^'son  was  one  of  the  very  best  on 
exhibition,  and  for  fine  eating  qualities 
could  not  be  excelled. 

The  Editor  of  the  American  Wine 
and  Grape  Grower  says  : — The  Jeffer- 
son is  one  of  our  best  red  grai)es  for 
table,  fully  equal  to  lona,  and  more 
vigorous  and  very  productive,  often 
giving  bunches  weighing  one  pound  or 
more. 


THE   CRESCENT  SEEDLING  STRAW- 
BERRY. 

This  is  beyond  qXiestion  a  wonderful 
strawberry ;  its  productiveness  is  as- 
tonishing. In  size  it  is  medium  to 
large;  in  color,  brilliant  scarlet,  and 
does  not  get  dull  when  in  market ;  in 
quality,  rich,  having  the  peculiar  wild 
flavor.  The  fruit  colors  on  all  sides  at 
once,  so  that  all  red  berries  may  be 
gathered,  a  quality  appreciated  by  mar- 
ket growers ;  all  berries  perfect  in  form 
and  merchantable.  It  bears  immense 
crops  even  in  weeds  and  grass.  It  is 
the  "  iron  clad  "  of  the  new  sorts. 

The  above  is  what  A.  M.  Purdy  says 
of  this  new  strawberry,  and  he  has 
every  op^xjrtunity  for  forming  a  correct 
opinion. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Fruit  Re- 
corder, who  resides  at  Burlington,  in 
the  State  of  Vermont,  says  of  it : 

"  I  fruited  some  Crescents  this  year, 
they  are  simply  immense.  Although 
I  had  many  kinds,  none  equalled  the 
Crescent.  I  let  them  all  run  together 
on  very  rich,  moist  land  (a  loam),  and 
they  producetl  more  lar*go  berries  than 
I  ever  saw  on  the  same  amount  of  land. 
I  did  not  get  any  of  the  very  large 
berries  that  some  of  my  neighbors  did 
from  the  Sharpless.  I  do  not  care  for 
a  few  very  large  berries,  but  my  Cres- 
cents were  all  large ;  I  might  almost 
say  very  large — except  for  some  of  those 
rare  specimens  that  are  now  being  pro- 
duced, they  were  certainly  as  large  as 
are  required  for  the  table  or  market, 
and  the  quantity  was  astonishing,  and 
the  quality  very  fine." 

J.  A.  Benedict,  in  Chautauqua 
Farmer,  says : 

"  In  regard  to  strawberries,  I  find  the 
Crescent  Seedling  ahead  of  anything  I 
have  ever  grown.  Its  yield  is  from  a 
quarter  to  a  thinl  bettor  than  the 
Wilson.     Have  the  Sharpless,  but  shall 


10^ 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


discard  it,  although  its  quality  is  very 
fine.  Find  that  reports  from  berries  iu 
Michigan  give  the  Crescent  Seedling  as 
the  equal  of  the  Wilson.  The  Crescent 
Seedling  when  properly  picked  and 
packaged  can  be  shipped  anywhere.  In 
yield  it  is  superior,  and  in  size  it  is 
equal  to  any.  The  red  raspberry  is  the 
one  that  takes  the  lead  with  me." 


ENGLISH  SPARKOWS. 

A  premium  of  ()d.  per  dozen  has 
been  placed  upon  sparrows*  heads  by 
the  Government  of  South  Australia, 
acting  on  the  advice  of  a  Commission 
specially  appointed  to  enquire  into  the 
"  sparrow  question,"  while  the  some- 
what dispropoi-tionate  sum  of  2s.  6d. 
per  hundred  is  offered  for  the  tiny  pale 
blue  eggs  of  the  bird.  The  bird,  which 
only  a  few  years  ago  such  efforts  were 
made  to  acclimatize  in  Australia,  and 
whose  first  arrival  was  hailed  with 
greater  enthusiasm  than  would  now  be 
displayed  on  the  landing  of  a  Bend  Or, 
a  Duchess,  or  a  prize  merino,  is  now 
doomed  to  extermination  if  that  can 
possibly  be  achieved.  So  rapidly  have 
the  few  pairs  which  were  introduced  a 
few  years  ago  multiplied  under  the 
congenial  skies  and  amid  the  luxuriant 
vegetation  of  the  Australian  Colonies, 
where  there  are  few  or  none  of  the 
checks  on  their  increase  which  exist  in 
the  Old  Country,  that  the  agriculturists 
complain  of  the  serious  injury  done  by 
them  to  their  wheat  and  fruit  crops, 
and  have  called  upon  the  Government 
to  devise  some  means  of  insuring  their 
destruction.  The  evidence  given  before 
the  Commission  appointed  to  inquire 
into  the  matter  affords  eloquent  exam- 
ples of  the  destructiveness  of  these 
hard-billed  birds.  One  witness  says 
that  in  the  short  space  of  ten  days  the 
sparrows  took  a  ton  and  a  half  of 
grapes  ;  they  stripped  all  the  figs  off 
five  trees,  and  kept  low   15  acres  of 


lucerne  during  summer.  Another  com- 
plains that  in  the  season  they  took  £30 
worth  of  fruit ;  while  a  third  declares 
that  he  sowed  peas  three  times,  and 
each  time  they  were  destroyed  by  spar- 
rows. The  fecundity  of  the  sparrow  in 
South  Australia  is  described  as  astonish- 
ing. A  few  to-day  are  thousands  next 
sea^on.  Its  work  is  done  on  a  scale 
disheartening  to  the  cultivator,  and 
under  conditions  he  cannot  control,  for 
the  seed  is  taken  out  of  the  ground,  the 
fruit-bud  off  the  tree,  the  sprouting 
vegetable  as  fast  as  it  grows,  and  the 
fruit  before  it  is  ripe,  and  therefore 
before  it  can  be  housed  and  saved. 
Neither  apricots,  cherries,  figs,  apples, 
grapes,  peaches,  pi  urns,  peai's,  nectarines, 
loquats,  olives,  wheat,  barley,  peas,  Ciib- 
bages,  cauliflowers,  nor  seeds  nor  fruit 
of  any  kind  are  spared  by  its  omnivor- 
ous bill  ;  and  all  means  of  defence  tried 
against  its  depredations,  whether  scare- 
crows, traps,  netting,  shooting,  or 
})oisoning,  are  declared  to  be  insuffi- 
cient to  cope  with  the  enemy. 

ORANGE  CROP  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

The  Press  and  Horticulturist^  of  Cali- 
fornia, has  the  following  on  the  coming 
orange  crop  in  that  State  :  "So  far  as 
this  State  is  concerned,  the  crop  will  be 
abo\^  as  lai-ge  as  last  year.  The  San 
Ga#el  Valley  will  produce  but  35,000 
boxes,  in  place  of  60,000  boxes  last  year, 
and  there  will  be  a  similar  falling  in  the 
old  orchards  of  Los  Angelos  ;  but  the 
new  orchards  of  Passadena,  Orange, 
Tustin  City,  Anaheim  and  Riverside, 
will  nearly  or  quite  make  up  the  loss 
of  the  older  orchards.  The  crop  this 
year  will  be  of  a  much  better  quality 
than  last.  In  1880-81  the  orchards 
were  overloaded,  and  much  of  the  fruit 
was  consequently  inferior.  This  year 
the  old  orchards  have  a  light  crop,  and 
thei-efoi'e  the  fruit  is  of  a  better  quality. 
Again  the  increase  of  the  crop  this  year 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTI0ULTDKI8T. 


109 


is  in  localities  where  the  scale  and  black 
fungus  have  not  clone  80  niucJi  damage 
as  in  the  older  orchards.  A  much 
larger  proportion  of  the  fi'uit  will  this 
year  come  from  young  trees  than  it  did 
last  yeai\" 

NATIVE  FRUITS. 

A  Paprr  read  be/ore  (he  IVestern  New  York  Horticul- 
tural Society  at  Rochester,  January  25th,  18SS,  by 
W.  C.  Barry,  Sec.  Native  Fruit  Conmittee. 

APPLES. 

The  list  of  valuable  apples  is  now  so 
large  that  few  attempts  are  made  to 
acquire  anything  better.  Chance  seed- 
lings of  apparent  merit  are  frequently 
brought  to  notice,  but  when  placed 
beside  the  older  sorts  and  compared 
carefully,  few  are  found  worthy  of  in- 
troduction. We  have  several  seedlings 
grafted  upon  bearing  trees,  and  hoped 
to  obtain  fruit  of  them  the  past  sum- 
mer, but  did  not ;  hence  we  must 
defer  mention  of  them  till  the  next 
annual  report.  At  the  West  strenuous 
efforts  are  being  made  to  obtain  sorts 
which  will  endiu\^  extreme  cold.  The 
Russian  as  well  as  other  hardy  sorts 
are  being  carefully  tested,  and  ere  long 
we  may  expect  some  important  devel- 
opments relative  to  this  class  of  fruit. 
The  introduction  of  the  Wealthy  is  an 
important  step  in  tliat  direction.  Hardi- 
ness and  tine  quality  are  combined  in 
this  variety,  and  the  new  ap]>le  has 
come  to  be  regarded  as  an  acquisition 
of  much  value.  The  Whitneij  Crab 
fruited  with  us  for  the  first  time  the 
past  season,  and  as  regards  its  quality 
was  an  agreeable  surprise.  The  fruit 
is  of  medium  size,  large  for  a  Crab, 
flesh  tine,  melting,  juicy,  and  pleasant 
flavored.     It  matures  in  August. 

Occuient,  the  new  California  apple, 
resembling  Yellow  Bellflower,  and  re- 
ferred to  in  former  reports,  is  now  being 
di.sseminated,  and  we  hope  it  may  suc- 
ceed so  well  as  to  nierit  a  permanent 
position  on  the  select  lists. 


Sutton  Beauty  continues  to  grow  in 
favor,  and  should  it  succeed  as  well 
generally  as  it  has  in  New  York  and 
Massachusetts,  it  may  with  all  justice 
be  accorded  a  high  position  among  our 
best  apples. 

Stump,  frequently  mentioned  in  the 
reports  of  this  society,  is  a  beautiful 
and  valuable  table  apple.  It  has  been 
on  trial  long  enough  to  enable  us  to 
award  it  a  place  among  the  most  desir- 
able fruits. 

Magog  Red  Streak  is  a  hardy  variety, 
of  which  Dr.  Hoskins  says  :  "  If  it 
were  not  for  the  Wealthy,  this  would 
stand  at  the  head  of  our  winter  apples  ;" 
and  of 

Scott's  Winter^  another  variety,  he 
adds  :  "  This  is  the  apple  which  well 
replaces  for  us  the  Roxbury  Russet  of 
a  milder  clime." 

In  our  anxiety  for  novelties,  we  fre- 
quently place  too  low  an  estimate  upon 
the  older  fruits,  and  tiie  committee 
feels  that  a  brief  reference  occasionally 
to  some  of  these  sorts  will  not  b®  out 
of  place.  Some  fruits  require  peculiar 
care  and  culture  to  develop  their  best 
qualities,  and  when  a  variety  of  acknow- 
ledged merit  fails  to  succeed  with  us, 
we  should  endeavor  to  tind  out  the 
cause,  and  if  possible  apply  a  remeily. 
Soil  and  climate  often  exert  such  a 
powerful  influence  over  the  fruit,  that 
particular  sorts  cannot  be  grown  in 
certain  localities,  even  with  the  l>est  of 
care.  But  several  sorts  fail  from  utter 
neglect,  or  from  a  lack  of  the  requisite 
care  wliich  such  sorts  demand.  The 
Fameuse  apple,  than  which  there  is  no 
finer  dessert  fruit,  is  very  small  and 
scabby  in  some  localities,  and  in  others 
remarkably  tine.  During  the  past 
summer  Mr.  J.  J.  Thomas,  chairman 
of  our  committee,  compared  specimens 
of  the  new  Kieffer  pear  which  were 
grown  in  Rochester  with  those  from 
New  Jersey,  and  found  the  former  too 


iio 


TTTE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


poor  to  eat,  while  the  latter  were  of 
tine  quality.  Mr.  Thomas  also  cites 
the  case  of  the  Winter  jYelis  pear,  which 
in  this  vicinity  is  unquestionably  our 
most  valuable  winter  pear,  and  in 
Westchester  county  it  is  said  to  be 
hardly  worth  cultivating.  Mr.  Thomas 
therefore  suggests  that  it  is  worth 
while  to  try  and  find  out  the  influences 
which  produce  these  great  differences. 
The  causes  of  failure  of  such  valuable 
fruits  as  the  Winter  Kelis  pear  and 
Fameuse  apple  are  worth  looking  into. 
Intelligent  cultivators,  such  as  as- 
semble at  our  meetings,  should  give  the 
results  of  their  experience  on  these 
points  ;  and  if  they  are  aware  of  any 
peculiar  methods  of  culture  for  certain 
fruits  they  would  do  the  public  a  great 
service  by  making  them  known.  I  am 
pleased  to  note  that  the  valuable  quali- 
ties of  the  Fameuse  are  becoming  appre- 
ciated. When  in  New  York  a  short 
time  ago,  I  noticed  an  abundance  of 
fruit  upon  the  stands,  and  dealers  now 
advertise  it  as  the  delicious  Snow- 
Apple, 

The  Jonathan  is  another  white-fleshed 
apple  which  is  destined  to  rank  high  as 
a  table  fruit.  It  ripens  immediately 
after  the  Fameuse,  and  is  very  desirable 
to  succeed  it. 

Ladies'  Sweet  is  one  of  those  delicate- 
fleshed  apples  which  deserve  the  highest 
esteem.  Its  flesh  is  white,  tender,  rich, 
and  being  entirely  free  from  acidity  it 
is  easily  digested,  and  as  an  article  of 
food  for  dyspeptics  would  be  highly 
prized  if  better  known. 

The  Mother  is  a  choice  winter  apple 
of  fine  quality,  which  deserves  a  higher 
place  than  is  usually  awarded  it. 

The  Northern  Spy  has  valuable  quali- 
fications as  a  dessert  fruit,  which  do 
not  seem  to  be  fully  appreciated.  Suc- 
ceeding the  Jonathan,  it  is  in  prime 
condition  for  eating  in  mid-winter,  and 
in  point  of  delicacy  and  delicious  flavor 


is  hardly  equalled.  Too  much  praise 
cannot  be  bestowed  upon  this  noble 
fruit.  I  trust  the  time  is  not  far  dis- 
tant when  consumers  will  readily  pay 
three  times  the  price  for  it  that  they  do 
for  Baldwin  and  the  like. 

Jeffnris,  from  Pennsylvania,  is  worthy 
of  attention.  It  is  of  medium  size,  skin 
yellow,  splashed  with  crimson  ]  flesh 
white,  tender,  juicy  and  mild  sub-acid. 
It  ripens  in  September,  and  is  a  variety 
which  will  always  rank  high  on  account 
of  its  admirable  qualities. 

PEARS. 

It  requires  so  much  time  to  deter- 
mine the  value  ot  a  new  fruit,  that 
although  several  novelties  have  been  on 
trial  for  some  time,  it  is  not  possible 
yet  to  give  much  accurate  information 
concerning  their  importance  for  general 
cultivation.  In  the  localities  where 
they  originated  they  may  be  very  de- 
sirable, but  when  tried  elsewhere  they 
are  often  found  to  be  of  little  value. 
At  the  present  time  the  most  prominent 
aspirants  for  public  favor  are  floosie, 
Frederick  Clapp  and  Kieffer's  Hybrid. 
The  two  first  are  unquestionably  of  the 
highest  quality,  and  bid  fair  to  prove 
acquisitions.  The  last  named  has  ac- 
quired considerable  popularity  in  New 
Jersey  as  a  market  sort.  We  had  fruit 
of  it  from  our  own  tree  the  past  sum- 
mer, and  found  it  too  poor  to  eat.  Mr. 
Thomas  compared  our  specimens  with 
some  from  New  Jersey,  and  found  the 
latter  of  good  quality.  The  tree  is  re- 
markably vigorous,  and  has  handsome 
glossy  foliage,  which  readily  distin- 
guishes it  from  all  other  sorts. 

P.  Barry,  Fox's  Seedling,  is  a  re- 
markable new  variety,  and  particularly 
valuable,  as  it  extends  the  season  of 
fine  pears  into  April.  The  flesh  is  very 
juicy,  buttery,  fine  grained,  sprightly 
and  rich.  It  resembles  Buene  d'Anjou 
in  texture  of  flesh,  and  Winter  Nelis  in 
color  of  skin  and  juiciness.     Its  keep- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTlCULTUniST. 


Ill 


ing  qualities  are  really  wonderful. 
Unlike  other  late  winter  pears,  the 
flesh  retains  its  freshness,  delicacy  and 
juiciness  even  under  unfavorable  cir- 
cumstances, and  in  April  it  is  just  as 
agreeable  to  the  palate  as  a  fine  Winter 
Nelis  in  December  or  January.  Now 
that  the  Beurre  Easter  can  not  be 
ripened  successfully,  this  variety  will 
supplant  it. 

The  Secretary  suggests  that  cultiva- 
tors should  give  Clapp's  Favorite  more 
attention  than  they  have  hitherto  done. 
This  splendid  pear,  one  of  the  hand- 
somest of  American  fruits,  is  rarely 
seen,  and  from  all  we  can  learn  has 
never  been  tested  as  it  ought  to  have 
been. 

CHERRIES. 

The  Windsor,  a  new  cherry  originated 
with  James  Dougall,  Windsor,  Ont.,  is 
very  promising.  It  is  black,  or  liver- 
colored,  flesh  very  firm  and  of  fine 
quality.  It  ripens  a  few  days  after 
Tradescant's.  On  account  of  its  late- 
ness and  firmness  it  will  undoubtedly 
be  found  valuable.  We  have  fruited 
it  upon  our  grounds  several  seasons, 
and  esteem  it  highly.  Mr.  Dougall 
says  :  '*  The  Windsor  is  enormously 
productive,  very  hardy,  being  the  only 
Bigarreau  or  Heart  clierry,  the  fniit 
buds  of  which  were  not  winter  killed 
last  winter  on  my  grounds :  even  Dukes 
were  killed." 

PLUMS. 

The  Wild  Goose  is  a  pleasant  flavored 
early  plum,  and  is  justly  entitled  to  a 
place  among  worthy  fruits.  Miner, 
similar  in  character,  ripens  late  in  Sep- 
tember, when  plums  are  scarce,  but  in 
quality  it  is  not  equal  to  Wild  Goose, 
nevertheless  it  may  have  value. 

PEACHES. 

Tliis  is  a  subject  which  still  possesses 
more  than  ordinary  interest.  The  large 
number  of  new  sorts  introduced  within 
the  last  ten  yeara  has  drawn  i)eculiar 


attention  to  this  fruit.  Special  interest 
is  taken  in  the  very  early  sorts,  which 
are  now  so  numerous  and  so  similar  as 
to  render  it  diflicult  to  determine  which 
to  keep  and  which  to  reject.  We  have 
many  of  the  early  sorts  growing  side 
by  side,  and  though  we  watched  them 
closely  from  day  to  day  we  have  often 
been  puzzled  to  determine  the  values 
of  each.  It  would  be  tedious  to  give 
the  results  of  these  tests  in  detail,  so 
we  will  at  once  state  the  conclusions 
we  reached  after  careful  examinations : 

Alexander  or  Anisden  are  not  sur- 
passed in  size  or  earliness ;  Alexander 
averages  larger,  but  Amsden  is  better 
flavored.  Waterloo  is  higher  flavored 
than  either.  It  may  not  be  any  earlier, 
but  its  fine  quality  will  render  it  valu- 
able. jEarlt/  Canada  is  a  close  com- 
petitor in  this  class.  It  ripens  with 
Alexander,  is  not  so  large,  but  very 
handsome,  and  may  part  from  the  stone 
a  little  more  freely.  Brigg's  Red  May 
is  not  so  large  as  Alexander,  and  three 
or  four  days  later.  Governor  Garland, 
we  are  informed,  ripens  several  days 
after  Alexander  and  Amsden. 

The  lengthy  list  of  new  sorts  is  be- 
coming gradually  reduced,  and  though 
the  results  prove  that  much  labor  has 
been  in  vain,  we  have  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  the  claimants  have  had 
a  fair  trial.  We  earnestly  hope  that 
future  introductions  may  possess  quali- 
fications not  yet  realized.  We  want 
early  sorts  that  are  free  at  the  stone, 
and  that  are  less  liable  to  decay  than 
those  now  known.  The  following  are 
the  latest  introductions  : 

Galand  June,  May  Beauty  and  Wil- 
liams' Early  Freestone,  said  to  be  two 
weeks  later  than  Anisden,  and  of  better 
quality. 

The  following  well-known  varieties 
ripen  nearly  at  the  same  time,  but  when 
compared  and  tested,  they  show  a 
marked  difierence  in  quality. 


112 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Conkling  is  superior  to  all  in  flavor. 
Foster  comes  next,  then  Surpasse  Melo- 
coton,  Crawford*s  Early  and  Richmond 
ranking  in  quality  in  the  order  named. 

Ward^s  Late  Free  is  the  most  deFLci- 
ous  late  peach  in  this  district. 

GRAPES. 

Grapes  are  receiving  marked  atten- 
tion from  cultivators  at  the  present 
time.  Particular  interest  is  manifested 
in  the  new  sorts,  and  all  growers  are 
waiting  anxiously  for  the  experience  of 
those  who  have  the  novelties  on  trial. 
"We  regret  that  it  is  not  in  our  power 
to  offer  any  information  about  them. 
It  will  probably  require  two  or  three 
years  more  to  determine  their  value. 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  testing  a  new 
grape  which  is  remarkable  for  its 
fine  flavor,  equalling,  if  not  surpassing, 
in  this  respect  any  variety  I  know  of. 
The  grape  I  refer  to  is  the  A  tuber 
Queen,  raised  in  Massachusetts.  It  is 
of  medium  size,  purple  when  perfectly 
rif)e,  and  has  a  rich,  sprightly  flavor 
which  is  remarkable.  The  vines  which 
produced  the  fruit  being  young,  it  was 
not  possible  to  judge  fairly  of  tlie  habit 
of  the  plant,  or  size  of  cluster.  This 
variety  may  be  regarded  as  promising. 

Burnet,  a  hybrid  between  Hartford 
Prolific  and  Black  Hamburg,  and 
raised  by  Mr.  Deuipsey  in  Canada,  de- 
serves notice  on  account  of  its  fine 
quality. 

Early  Victor,  a  black  grape  origin- 
ated by  John  Burr,  of  Leavenworth, 
Kansas,  the  same  gentleman  who  orig- 
inated Burr's  Seedling  Strawberry,  is 
said  to  be  the  earliest  variety  known, 
and  is  expected  to  displace  Champion 
and  Hartford  Prolific.  Reliable  grape 
culturists  give  us  this  assurance,  so  we 
may  look  toward  this  grape  with  con- 
siderable interest.  The  Secretart/  Grape, 
one  of  Mr.  Rickett's  seedlings,  referred 
to  in  a  former  report  by  the  writer  of 
this  as   a   grape  of  poor  quality,  pro- 


duced some  fine  flavored  fmit  the  past 
summer.  It  ripens  very  unevenly, 
however,  and  the  vine  is  such  a  poor 
grower  that  it  cannot  become  popular. 
Highland,  another  of  Mr.  Rickett's 
grapes,  appears  to  be  very  late. 

Lady  Washington  we  did  not  see 
under  favorable  circumstances,  and 
cannot  speak  of  it  intelligently. 

Miner^s  Seedlings  fruited  with  us  for 
the  first  time,  and  were  quite  a  disap- 
pointment. They  all  partake  of  the 
character  of  Concord,  and  are  said  to 
have  been  selected  from  1,500  seed- 
lings. One  trial  is  not  sufiicient  to 
estimate  their  value,  but  I  fear  they 
are  not  destined  to  become  popular. 
The  seven  white  varieties  bear  a  strong 
resemblance  to  each  other,  though  of 
course  there  are  points  of  difference. 
Victoria  is  the  best.  There  are  two 
Black  ones.  Linden  and  Rockingham, 
neither  of  which  show  any  points  of 
excellence.  All  resemble  Concord  in 
habit  of  growth  and  productiveness, 
and  some  of  the  white  varieties  would 
have  been  considered  acquisitions  had 
they  been  disseminated  a  few  years  ago 
before  the  new  White  Grapes  we  now 
have  in  the  Market, 

Lady  Charlotte,  one  of  Pringle's 
hybrid  grapes,  gives  promise  of  excel- 
lence. It  is  remarkable  for  its  fine 
flavor.  Vermont  Giant,  another  of  his 
hybrids,  is  to  all  appearances  of  no 
value.  It  is  black,  very  pulpy,  and 
the  flavor  poor. 

I  should  not  fail  to  refer  to  three 
varieties  of  Rogers'  Grapes,  the  im- 
portance of  which  has  been  overlooked. 
They  are  LiwUey,  Herbert  and  Gaertner. 
Herbert  is  a  magnificent  black  grape, 
superior  in  quality  to  Wilder  or  Barry, 
and  the  bunch  is  nearly  as  large. 
Gaertner  is  a  very  large  red  grape,  and 
so  attractive  that  when  exhibited  in  a 
collection  it  is  the  first  to  receive 
notice.      Lindley  we   have  spoken  of 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


iia: 


before.  It  is  one  of  the  best  red  grapes, 
and  deserves  to  be  so  regarded.  It  is 
singular  that  these  varieties  liave  not 
attained  the  distinction  which  they 
merit.  It  shows  plainly  that  we  are 
liable  to  overlook  some  important 
fruits. 

Rocklind  Favorite  from  Massachu- 
setts resembles  the  Concord,  but  does 
not  surpass  it  in  any  respect  so  far  as 
we  can  see.  The  White  Jnn  Arbor, 
raised  from  seed  of  the  Concord,  is 
represented  to  be  of  much  value.  The 
bunch  and  berry  are  described  as  being 
large  fruit  of  first  quality,  and  the  vine 
vigorous  and  free  from  mildew.  Feem- 
tter  Favorite  from  Indiana  is  said  to 
excel  the  Concord  in  hardiness,  and  if 
so,  is  probably  of  some  value  at  the 
west.  The  bunch  is  said  to  be  of 
medium  to  large  size;  berry  large, 
green  in  the  shade,  and  in  the  sun 
slightly  shaded  with  salmon. 

Wyoming  Red  or  Wilmington  Red, 
which  originated  on  the  Hudson,  being 
described  as  a  variety  which  was  likely 
to  supersede  the  Delaware,  was  watched 
closely.  We  may  have  a  spurious  sort, 
for  the  plant  which  we  have  under  the 
name  produced  a  dark  red  or  purple 
grape  ;  very  pulpy,  foxy  and  of  inferior 
quality. 

Mr.  A.  M.  Smith,  of  St.  Catharines, 
writes  that  several  promising  seedlings 
have  been  raised  and  are  on  trial  in 
Canada. 

One,  an  improved  Delaware,  raised 
by  C.  H.  Biggar,  Drummondville. 
Another  being  a  fine  White  Grape, 
seedling  of  the  Concord,  and  better 
flavored. 

Our  own  seedlings,  the  Rochester  and 
Monroe,  continue  to  be  very  satisfac- 
tory. Last  season  when  many  grapes 
failed  to  set  their  fruit  well,  owing  to 
unfavorable  weather  at  the  blossoming 
time,  these  proved  remarkable  excep- 
tions and  produced  such  an  amount  of 


fruit  that  we  took  off  fully  one-half" 
from  the  vines  when  in  a  green  state. 
The  Rochester,  with  its  large, shouldered, 
compact  clusters,  is  a  remarka)>ly  hand- 
some grape  ;  and  the  bunches  are  borne 
in  such  abundance  that  they  are  very 
showy  and  attractive.  The  vine  is 
vigorous  and  the  foliage  very  healthy. 
It  has  some  defects,  but  where  is  the 
grape  that  has  not  ]  The  R<xhester  is 
not  destined  to  be  spread  broadcast,  for 
it  cannot  be  propagated  except  with 
some  difficulty.  Monroe  is  very  early, 
pleasant  flavored,  vine  very  vigorous, 
hardy,  prolific,  and  the  foliage  is  healthy. 

RASPBERRIES. 

Public  attentioji  seems  to  be  concen- 
trated in  the  Cuthbert.  I  have  not 
seen  enough  of  it  to  form  an  opinion. 
It  is  evidently  the  best  flavored  of  the 
so-called  hardy  sorts,  and  as  such  is 
calculated  to  displace  a  number  of 
varieties  which  have  been  valued  for 
hardiness  and  shipping  qualities.  In 
18771  fruited  side  by  side  nearly  all  the 
raspberries  then  known,  new  and  old. 
Clarke  and  Brinckles  Orange  seemed 
to  be  the  cream  of  the  collection,  so  far 
as  the  quality  of  the  fruit  Wiis  concerned. 
I  have  fruited  the  assortment  since,  and 
have  not  changed  my  opinion.  Objec- 
tions are  raised  occasionally  to  the 
Clarke,  but  for  the  amateur  I  think  it 
is  unequalled.  Tiirner  is  one  of  the 
hardiest  sorts,  and  withal  of  good  flavor. 
Caroline,  the  new  yellow  Cap,  is  hardy 
and  very  productive,  but  its  quality, 
we  must  admit,  does  not  equal  our  ex- 
pectations. We  were  promised  a  lusci- 
ous fruit,  but  with  us  it  proved  to  be 
only  of  fair  quality. 

Niagara  is  the  name  of  a  raspberry 
originated  and  introduced  by  A.  M. 
Smith,  of  St.  Catharines,  Ont.  It  is 
said  to  be  a  cross  between  the  Clarke 
and  Philadelphia,  and  sui)erior  to  either 
as  a  market  fruit.  Berry  large,  dark 
red,  shape  of  Clarke,   but  firmer  and" 


114 


THE   CANAPIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


more   productive,    and    fully   a    week 
later. 

The  Superb,  which  originated  in  New 
Jersey,  was  sent  out  for  the  first  time 
last  autumn.  Tt  is  described  as  large, 
handsome,  bright  crimson,  and  having 
a  sprightly  sub-acid  flavor. 

Shaff'ers  Colossal  is  a  new  Cap  berry, 
which  originated  with  George  Shaffer, 
in  the  town  of  Wheatland,  Monroe 
county,  N.  Y.,  in  1869,  and  is  now 
being  disseminated  by  Mr.  Charles  A. 
Green,  of  Clifton,  N.  Y.  It  is  said  to 
be  the  largest  raspberry  in  the  world, 
and  the  most  vigorous  in  gi-owth  of 
cane,  and  exceedingly  productive. 

Mr.  Green  is  also  sending  out  Lost 
Rubies,  a  red  raspberry,  described  as 
large,  bright  red,  with  considerable 
bloom,  firm  and  of  fine  flavor.  The 
plant  is  said  to  be  very  hardy. 

Souhegan,  a  new  Black  Cap,  is  des- 
cribed as  being  early  and  of  fine  quality. 
Well  known  authorities  give  it  the 
highest  commendation.  Hopkins  is 
another  which  originated  at  the  West, 
and  is  said  to  be  hardier  than  the  Gregg. 
Centennial  Black,  from  the  West,  is 
still  another  which  Mr.  E.  P.  Roe 
recommends  highly. 

The  Black  Cap  family  has  been  con- 
siderably augmented  by  these  acces- 
sions, and  it  will  be  interesting  to  com- 
"pare  them. 

STRAWBERRIES. 

The  list  of  new  strawberries  is  being 
constantly  enlarged,  so  »that  our  in- 
terest in  this  fruit  is  not  allowed  to  flag 
in  the  least.  The  Bid  well  leads  the 
newcomers,  and  is  introduced  to  notice 
with  the  most  flattering  recommenda- 
tions. On  the  Hudson  it  has  done 
admirably,  and  from  all  accounts  pos- 
sesses so  many  valuable  characteristics 
that  we  may  reasonably  expect  a  great 
deal  from  it.  The  Manchester,  which 
originated    in    New    Jersey,    follows, 


fairly  loaded  down  with  commenda- 
tions from  prominent  fruit  growers. 
Jersey  Queen,  one  of  Mr.  Du rand's 
seedlings,  is  also  regarded  as  promising. 
Mr.  Green  mentions  the  Moonstone  as 
a  variety  which  ripens  late  in  the 
season.  New  Dominion,  raised  by  J. 
H.  Biggar,  of  Drummondville,  Canada, 
is  said  to  resemble  Cumberland  Tri- 
umph. Mr.  Beadle  says  it  possesses 
all  the  good  qualities  of  that  variety, 
and  is  at  the  same  time  more  produc- 
tive, of  somewhat  firmer  flesh  and 
better  flavor.  The  fruit  which  we 
tested  the  past  season  was  not  as  good 
as  Cumberland  Triumph.  Early  Can- 
ada was  originated  by  A.  M.  Smith,  of 
St  Catharines,  and  is  said  to  resemble 
•Wilson  strongly,  but  it  ripens  a  week 
earlier. 

We  tested  fifteen  or  eighteen  new 
sorts  last  summer,  but  were  not  favor- 
ably impressed  with  any  of  them.  Pos- 
sibly another  season's  trial  will  enable 
us  to  form  a  better  opinion  of  them. 

I  compared  Glendale  carefully  with 
Kentucky,  and  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  latter  was  the  more  valuable. 

CURRANTS. 

Fay^s  Prolific  is  now  in  the  market, 
and  we  hope  to  give  it  a  trial  soon. 
Mr.  Smith  says  Lee's  Prolific  does  not 
show  any  points  of  superiority  over  the 
Black  Naples. 

We  have  endeavored  in  this  report 
to  refer  to  all  the  most  prominent 
novelties  now  under  cultivation.  You 
will,  I  am  sure,  agree  with  me  that  we 
are  making  progress  ;  and  if  the  same 
interest  and  energy  be  evinced  in  the 
future  as  in  the  past,  we  may  look  for 
great  advances  in  fruit  culture.  By 
hybridization  and  crossing  the  most 
wonderful  results  may  be  accomplished. 
There  is  in  fact  no  limit  to  the  novel- 
ties we  may  produce.  But  let  our  efforts 
be  directed  in  such  a  way  as  to  produce 
the  most  useful  results. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


115 


FARMERS  THAT  DISLIKE  FRUIT 
GROWING. 

The  Chicago  Herald  thus  speaks  to 
those  farmers  who  neglect  fruit  plant- 
ing : 

"  While  all  parts  of  our  country  are 
adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  excellent 
fruits  of  various  sorts,  and  while  all 
locations  will  produce  a  fair  variety,  it 
is  a  singular  fact  that  many  farmers 
never  undertake  to  produce  even  the 
very  moderate  amount  which  would  be 
used  by  their  own  families.  The  writer 
of  this  went  to  his  farm  some  ten  years 
ago.  About  the  first  serious  work  that 
engaged  his  attention  was  the  planting 
of  fruit,  of  the  sorts  that  would  bring  a 
return — as  currants,  gooseberries,  rasp- 
berries, strawberries  and  apples — of  the 
latter  several  hardy  standard  sorts,  as 
well  as  several  varieties  of  crabs.  It 
really  seems  now  that  it  was  but  a  very 
short  time  until  we  not  only  had  a  large 
supply  for  our  own  use,  but  a  surplus 
began  to  come  along,  which  in  our  own 
section  commanded  a  ready  sale  and 
good  prices.  Our  raspberries  and  cur- 
rants are  a  regular  mine  of  luxuiy 
during  the  summer  heat,  when  one  so 
appreciates  such  cooling  and  healthful 
and  nutritious  articles  of  diet.  The 
currants  are  specially  craved  during 
haying  and  harvesting,  and  it  would  be 
a  deprivation  indeed  to  go  without 
them  ! 

"  But  our  nearest  neighbor,  though 
he  had  ten  years  the  start  of  us,  has 
never  yet  raised  an  apple,  and  not  a 
single  berry  or  currant !  He  has  once 
in  awhile  set  a  few  apple  trees,  but  he 
has  left  the  pruning  to  his  cattle  and 
colts,  and  they  have  done  the  work  far 
too  well !  He  is  very  glad  about  these 
days  to  send  *  the  children  '  over  to  our 
orchard  to  pick  up  the  fruit  which  drops 
off,  from  which  'the  oM  lady'  elaborates 
a  little  '  applesass  !'  But  such  a  thing 
as   a  dish  of  berries  and  choice  ripe 


currants  is  very  seldom,  if  ever,  seen 
on  his  table.  He  has  never  set  so  much 
as  a  pie-plant,  and  if  even  this  coarse 
substitute  for  fruit  is  ever  used  in  his 
house,  it  has  been  begged  from  some 
more  thoughtful  and  thrifty  neighbor. 

"  Such  neglect  as  this  is  without  any 
excuse  whatever.  What  motive,  or 
lack  of  motive,  it  originates  from  one 
can  hardly  guess.  Whether  these  pro- 
crastinating people  are  too  stingy  to 
make  the  small  outlay  required  at  the 
start,  or  are  afflicted  with  downright 
laziness,  or  a  combination  of  both  these 
ailments,  would  be  a  difficult  matter  to 
establish.  But  the  fact  exists,  that 
such  utterly  shiftless  people  do  abound 
in  every  community,  and  that  they  are 
content  to  live  year  after  year  upon 
*  hog  and  hominy,'  when  the  soil  at 
their  very  doors  would  supply  them 
with  the  choicest  fruits  that  can  bo 
grown  in  the  temperate  zone  !  Every 
variety — grapes,  strawberries,  ras[)ber- 
ries,  blackberries,  currants  and  goose- 
berries— can  be  produced  in  any  quan- 
tities. Once  established,  their  after 
care  is  very  easy  and  simple,  and  they 
will  load  the  farmer's  table  with  choice, 
delicious  and  healthful  food  all  the  year 
round. 

**  Our  advice  to  every  farmer  is  simply 
this — make  it  a  point  to  produce  fruit 
enough  to  supply  your  own  table  all  the 
year  round.  If  you  are  going  to  open 
a  new  farm,  do  less  of  the  hard  work 
which  brings  only  a  small  return,  and 
plant  fruit.  If  you  cannot  do  all  in 
one  season,  do  a  little  each  year,  until 
you  are  quite  sure  that  you  have  suffi- 
cient for  a  home  supply.  Not  only 
will  it  pay  you  as  we  have  set  forth 
above,  but  the  thought,  investigation 
and  study  which  its  culture  require^s  is  a 
most  excellent  discipline  for  the  mind — 
almost  *  a  liberal  education.'  There  is 
no  reason  wliy  every  farmer  should  not 
be,  in  a  moderate  and  modest  way,  a 


^16 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


horticulturist,  capable  of  not  only  sup- 
plying a  choice  variety  of  fruit  tor  his 
own  table,  but  skilled  in  adorning  his 
home  in  a  way  to  make  it  a  pleasant 
abiding  place  for  all  who  are  sheltered 
•iinder  its  roof." 


THE  QUINCE. 

Since  the  canning  of  fruit  has  become 
■  so  simple,  cheap,  and  easy,  the  question 
naturally  arises,  what  shall  we  use  for  a 
family  supply  1  In  answer,  we  reply 
that  in  our  own  family  the  Peach  and 
Quince  hold  important  places,  and  are 
regarded  as  indispensable.  We  feel 
very  much  in  regard  to  the  Quince  as 
the  old  farmer  did  about  his  boiled  In- 
^dian, pudding — "  wanted  three  hundred 
; and  sixty-five  in  a  year."  Few  will 
<ever  tire  of  good  canned  Quince;  hence 
its  culture  is  of  importance. 

Varieties. — The  Apple  of  Orange 
'Quince  is  the  best  in  texture  and  qua- 
lity, but  the  Fear  is  a  healthier  grower 
and  more  productive,  ripening  also  later. 
The  new  variety.  Champion,  is  more 
vigorous  and  productive  than  either, 
and  is  also  an  excellent  keeper.  A  good 
plantation  of  Quinces  should  embrace 
all  three  varieties. 

Soil  and  Location. — Almost  any  good 
soil  will  produce  Quinces ;  a  dry,  sandy 
soil  is  the  least  favorable,  a  strong, 
moist  loam,  well  drained,  the  best. 

A  peaty  soil,  on  the  margin  of  a  free- 
running  stream, almost  always  produces 
good  Quinces  in  abundance. 

Culture. — Shallow  culture  only  should 
be  given,  as  the  Quince  throws  its  roots 
near  the  surface.  The  best  Quince 
orchard  I  have  seen  is  where  the  owner 
resorts  to  mulching  rather  than  culture. 
Sufficent  manure  should  be  applied  an- 
nually. 

Enemies. — The  borer,  the  same  which 
.Attacks  the  Apple  trees,  is  the  worst 
,eneiny  of  the  Quince.     The  best  remedy 


is  a  pint  of  soft  soap  mixed  with  one 
gallon  of  lime  wash  (common  white- 
wash), which,  when  thoroughly  applied 
from  the  base  of  the  tree  up  eighteen 
inches,  early  in  May  each  year,  will 
save  your  trees  from  subsequent  attacks 
of  the  borer. 

Continual  intelligent  care  will  be  fol- 
lowed by  success  in  nine  cases  out  of 
ten. — American  Garden. 


ROOT  PRUNING. 
The  experiments  were  made  on  the 
apple  and  pear.  A  vigorous  apple  tree? 
eight  or  ten  years  old,  which  had  scarce- 
ly made  any  fruit  buds,  has  done  best 
when  about  half  the  roots  were  cut  in 
one  season,  and  half  three  years  later,  by 
going  halfway  around  on  opposite  sides 
in  one  year  and  finishing  at  the  next 
pruning — working  two  feet  underneath 
to  sever  downward  roots.  It  has  al- 
ways answered  well,  also,  to  cut  from 
such  trees  all  the  larger  and  longer 
roots  about  two  and  a  half  feet  from  the 
stem,  leaving  the  smaller  and  weaker 
ones  longer,  and  going  half  way  around, 
as  already  stated.  The  operation  was 
repeated  three  or  four  years  later  by  ex- 
tending the  cut  circle  a  foot  or  two 
further  away  from  the  tree.  By  this 
operation  unproductive  fruit  trees  be- 
came thickly  studded  with  fruit  spurs, 
and  afterwards  bore  profusely.  This 
shortening  of  the  roots  has  been  conti- 
nued in  these  experiments  for  twenty 
years  with  much  success,  the  circle  of 
roots  remaining  greatly  circumscribed. 
The  best  time  for  the  work  has  been 
found  to  be  in  the  latter  part  of  Au- 
gust and  beginning  of  September,  when 
growth  has  nearly  ceased,  and  while 
the  leaves  are  yet  on  the  trees,  causing 
greater  increase  of  bloom  buds  the 
following  year  than  when  performed 
after  the  leaves  have  fallen. — London 
Garden. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


m 


THE  ONION  SMUT. 

The  Onion  is  one  of  the  leading  crops 
in  many  localitlies  in  the  eastern  states, 
and  in  some  of  them  the  culture  of 
this  vegetable  has,  within  the  last  ten 
years,  greatly  diminished,  and  has  even 
been  abandoned  because  of  the  destruc- 
tive prevalence  of  the  Onion  Smut. 
This  pest  is  closely  related  to  the  Corn 
Smut,  and  makes  its  appearance  upon 
the  Onions  while  they  are  quite  small. 
The  smut  plant  in  its  early  stages  of 
growth  consists  of  a  multitude  of  small 
filaments  or  threads  collected  in  knobby 
masses  within  the  tissue  of  the  Onion 
bulb  and  narrow  parts  of  the  leaves  just 
above  the  bulb.  A  little  later  the  ej>i- 
dermis  or  skin  of  the  leaves  bursts  open 
and  a  vast  number  of  dark  brown  par- 
ticles of  dust  are  found,  which  are  the 
spores  of  the  fungus.  The  Onion  is  still 
small  when  the  spores  are  produced, 
and  it  seldom  continues  to  grow. 

It  is  thought  by  those  who  have  in- 
vestigated the  trouble  that  the  smut  has 
come  from  the  wild  Onion  or  Garlic, 
and  this  suggests  as  a  precaution  that 
all  of  the  wild  Onions  should  be  destroy- 
ed. When  the  smut  plant  has  per- 
fected itself  and  ripened  its  myriads  of 
spores,  the  soil  becomes  more  or  less 
charged  with  these  aeeJs,  and  spores 
are  seeds  as  far  as  their  functions  are 
concerned,  of  a  destructive  pest,  and 
give  truth  to  the  expression  often  heard 
among  afflicted  Onion  growers,  that 
"  the  disease  is  in  the  ground."  A  re- 
medy is  always  the  desired  thing  when 
there  is  any  disorder.  If  the  spores 
have  already  infested  the  ground  they 
must  be  destroyed.  The  best  way  to  do 
this  is  to  cease  growing  Onions  on  that 
land  for  a  term  of  yeara  sufficient  to 
exhaust  the  vitality  of  the  dormant 
smut  spores.  Put  other  crops  on  the 
land,  and  after  aV)out  six  years  it  will 
be  safe  to  try  Onions  again. 

The   Onion  smut   is  still  somewhat 


limited  in  its  range  and  every  precau- 
tion should  be  taken  to  keep  the  pest 
from  getting  widespread.  Great  care 
should  be  exercised  in  not  taking  seed 
from  a  smutty  locality.  The  spores 
being  very  small  they  may  cling  to  the 
rough  surface  of  the  Onion  seed  and  be 
sown  with  it.  As  a  precaution  soak 
the  seed,  that  the  water  may  remove, 
as  it  will,  many  of  the  adhering  spores. 
Onions  grown  from  sets  are  not  so  much 
troubled  with  the  smut  as  those  from 
the  seed.  It  is  probable  that  the  tender 
substance  of  the  young  seedling  offers 
much  more  favoralde  conditions  for  a 
successful  growth.  It  is  a  fact  of  general 
application  that  the  stronger  (and  it 
would  seem  as  if  even  young  Onions 
were  strong  enough)  the  plant,  the  more 
vigorous  its  growth  the  less  liable  is  it 
to  attacks  from  fungi. — Dr.  Bykon  D. 
Halsted,  in  American  Gardener. 


WASH  FOR  FRUIT  TREES. 

The  object  in  applying  a  wash  to 
trees  is  not  so  much  to  remove  the 
rough  and  scaly  outer  bark  as  to  destroy 
the  parasitic  plants  and  insects  which 
adhere  to  the  surface  of  the  bark  and 
sap  the  vitality  of  the  trees  by  a  con- 
stant drain  upon  the  circulating  current. 
One  form  of  wash  is  made  by  adding 
one  pound  of  whale  oil  soap  to  three 
gallons  of  warm  water,  stirring  well 
and  applying  with  a  stiff*  broom  brush. 
The  trunk  should  be  rubbed  thoroughly 
and-hard  to  remove  as  much  as  possible 
of  loose  bark,  that  the  liqiiid  may  reach 
every  part  of  the  surface.  Another 
good  wash  is  a  weak  lye  from  wood 
ashes.  A  third  wash  is  made  by  adding 
two  quarts  of  soft  water  to  one  gallon 
of  common  soft  soap.  Place  these  in  a 
vessel  over  the  fire,  and  when  warm  the 
soap  and  water  are  retidily  combined  by 
stirring,  and  should  be  applied  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  whale  oil  applica- 
tion.    The  best  results  are  obtained  bj 


118 


THE   CA.NADIAN   HORTICULTUEIST. 


washing  the  trees  about  three  times 
daring  the  season,  applying  the  first  in 
March  or  April,  the  second  in  June  and 
the  last  in  August.  The  insects  as  well 
as  moss  will  be  effectually  removed, 
leaving  the  bark  in  a  fine  healthy  con- 
dition.—  Western  Farmer. 


CAHBOLIC  SOAP  FOR  INSECTS. 

I  am  experimenting  with  Buchan's 
Carbolic  Soap,  as  a  preventive  for  inj  u- 
rious  insects,  and  am  so  well  pleased 
with  the  result  thus  far,  that  I  wish  to 
stimulate  other  horticulturists  to  try 
some  experiment  with  the  article. 

For  cut  worms,  I  made  the  soap  suds 
pretty  strong — two  gallons  of  water  to 
half  a  pound  of  soap,  and  with  it  satu- 
rated a  bushel  of  sawdust ;  then  placed 
a  little  around  the  stem  of  each  cabbao-e 
and  tomato  plant, — using  a  handful  to 
eight  or  ten  plants — adding  a  little  more 
after  two  or  three  days  when  the  odor 
seemed  gone.  This  was  completely  suc- 
cessful in  ground  where  the  worms  were 
quite  plenty,  and  where  pi  mts  not  pro- 
tected were  speedily  cut  off  by  them.  It 
is  the  cheape.^t  and  most  easily  applied 
remedy  that  I  have  yet  seen. 

For  striped  bugs  on  melons  and  cu- 
cumber vines,  I  find  the  same  method 
of  using  the  soap  effective,  if  the  saw- 
dust is  sprinkled  on  the  plants  every 
■day, — which  is  very  little  trouble, — but 
I  am  now  trying  wetting  the  plants 
directly  with  weak  suds  made  of  ten 
gallons  of  water  to  half  a  pound  of  the 
Boap,  and  I  think  this  will  prove  the 
best. 

For  aphis  or  plant  lice  on  cherry  trees 
or  the  like,  a  sprinkling  or  two  with 
the  suds,  by  means  of  a  sponge,  or  bend- 
ing the  shoots  so  as  to  dip  them  into  a 
pail  or  basin,  is  speedy  death  to  them. 
Care  must  be  had  not  to  have  the  suds 
too  strong  when  applied  to  tender  plants 


or  young  shoots  of  trees  ;  experiments 
are  needed  for  this  point.— i^rmi  Re- 
corder. 


PALESTINE  OF  TO-DAY. 

Nothing  can  well  exceed  the  desolate- 
ness  of  much  of  the  country.  Treeless 
it  is  for  twenty  or  thii-ty  miles  together. 
Forests  which  did  exist  thirty  years  ago 
— for  instance,  on  Mount  Carmel  and 
Mount  Tabor — fast  disappearing  ;  rich 
plains  of  the  finest  garden  soil  asking 
to  be  cultivated,  at  best  but  scratched 
up  a  few  inches  deep  in  patches,  with 
no  hedges  or  boundaries  ;  mountain 
terraces,  naturally  or  artificially  form- 
ed, ready  to  be  planted  with  vines  as 
the  German  colony  is  doing  at  the  foot 
of  Mount  Carmel,  the  villages  nothing 
but  mud  huts,  dust,  dirt  and  squalor, 
the  inhabitants  with  scarce  clothes 
enough  for  decency,  their  houses  ovens; 
large  tracts  without  a  horse  or  cow, 
sheep  or  dog  ;  no  pretence  at  roads, 
except  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem,  and 
this  like  a  cart  road  over  a  plowed  field. 

Everything  is  taxed;  every  fruit  tree, 
so  none  now  are  planted  ;  every  cow  or 
horse,  etc. ;  every  vegetable  sold  out  of 
a  private  garden.  Every  eighth  egg  is 
not  taxed,  but  taken  by  the  government. 
In  some  places  the  taxes  of  the  district 
are  sold  to  the  highest  bidder.  Nothing 
like  a  small  farm-house  is  to  be  found 
far  or  near.  If  there  were,  the  owner 
is  liable  to  have  soldiers  or  revenue 
officers  quartered  upon  him,  to  be 
boarded  and  lodged  at  his  expense. 
The  towns  are  filthy  in  the  extreme, 
none  more  so  than  Jerusalem  itself 

This  is  a  picture.  I  believe,  in  no  way 
over  drawn  of  that  land  which  was  once 
"flowing  with  milk  and  honey."  What 
might  it  not  become  again  with  fair 
usage  and  good  government  ?  But  there 
is  no  hope  for  Palestine  while  it  re- 
mains in  the  hands  of  its  present  rulers. 
— Cor.  Lotidon  Times. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


119 


BOOK  NOTICES. 

We  have  received  from  the  publish- 
ers a  copy  of  a  new  book  on  Roses,  by 
H.  B.  EUwanger,  of  Mount  Hope  Nur- 
series, Rocliester,  N.  Y. 

It  contains  300  pages  of  most  useful 
information  necessary  to  the  successful 
cultivation  of  the  Rose,  the  results  of 
the  experience  and  observation  of  many 
years  of  one  who  is  himself  an  enthu- 
siastic and  most  successful  cultivator. 
It  treats  in  a  full  and  most  compre- 
hensive manner  of  soil,  planting,  pru- 
ning, manure,  insects,  diseases,  and  the 
varieties  best  adapted  for  particular 
purposes,  as  bedding  and  forcing,  and 
those  for  bleak  and  very  cold  situa- 
tions, with  an  exhaustive  catalogue  of 
varieties  now  in  general  cultivation. 

Much  pains  has  been  taken  with  the 
classification,  so  that  valuable  distinc- 
tive features  may  be  preserved  and  yet 
simplicity  maintained,  so  as  not  to 
confuse  and  perplex. 

The  book  is  issued  in  very  handsome 
style,  by  Dodd,  Mead  &  Co.,  New 
York,  16  mo.  cloth,  $1.25. 

Hubbard's  Newspaper  and  Bank 
Directory  of  the  World. 

This  most  comprehensive  work  of 
2,591  pages  is  issued  in  two  Volumes, 
Vol.  I.  being  devoted  to  America,  Vol. 
II.  to  Foreign  Countries. 

It  contains  lists  of  all  the  American 
newspapers  and  of  the  British  Pro- 
vinces, maps  of  the  World,  a  line  map 
of  North  America,  much  interesting 
and  instructive  reading  matter,  fac- 
iimiles  of  English,  French,  Spanish,. 
Egyptian,  South  American  and  Aus- 
ti-alian  newspapers,  articles  descriptive 
of  the  several  States  and  Territories  of 
the  United  States;  also  a  sf^ries  of 
Gazetteer  articles,  descriptive  of  all 
foreign  countries,  and  maps  of  all 
foreign  nations.  There  is  also  a  list  of 
the  responsible  Banks  of  the  World,  em- 
bracing about  twenty  thousand  Banks. 


The  whole  work  is  a  most  astonish- 
ing compendium  of  valuable  informa- 
tion, which  should  be  in  the  hand  of 
every  business  man. 

Published  by  H.  P.  Hubbard,  New 
Haven,  Conn.     Price  $10. 


GRAFTING  THE  GRAPE. 

Though  I  have  practiced  grape-graft- 
ing for  thirty  years,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  to  make  it  practicable,  I  am  study- 
ing and  experimenting  with  the  subject 
yet.  After  testing  with  the  utmost 
care,  at  various  seasons,  with  apparent- 
ly good  wood,  upon  good  stock,  my 
success  has  been  diverse,  and  I  can  fix 
on  no  particular  season  as  positively 
better  than  another,  yet  my  choice  now 
is  just  before  the  buds  begin  to  swell. 
If  the  stump  at  the  cut  bleeds,  it  will 
do  no  harm.  On  young  vines,  with  a 
smooth  place  to  operate,  there  need  be 
but  little  failure  ;  but  with  old  stocks, 
the  rough  knotty  butt  is  a  serious  draw- 
back ;  but  if  the  vine  is  laid  down,  say 
a  foot  deep,  three  feet  or  more  distant 
from  the  stock,  and  then  grafted  on  a 
smooth  place,  held  in  position  with  a 
peg,  the  earth  pressed  firmly  around 
both  stock  and  graft,  with  one  bud  of 
graft  only  above  the  surface,  the  chances 
of  success  are  much  better  than  when 
worked  at  the  root  of  the  vine  ;  but  in 
this  case  the  shoots  must  be  rubbed  off 
as  fast  as  they  shoot  up  around  the  base 
of  the  stock.  If  the  graft  takes,  the 
vine  laid  down  will,  by  taking  loot, 
greatly  help  its  growth,  and  after  the 
second  season  the  young  plant  can 
thrive  on  its  own  roots,  and  the  old 
stock  may  be  grubbed  out. 

The  grafting  of  the  grape  on  pieces 
of  gra|)e  roots,  in  the  house,  in  winter, 
with  those  that  will  not  succeed  from 
cuttings,  is  a  simple  and  successful  me- 
thod, of  which  I  will  send  you  an  illus- 
tration if  desirable. — Samuel  Miller, 
in  the  Fruit  Grower. 


120 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  BRIGHT  FLOWERS. 

Oh,  they  look  upward  in  every  place, 

Througli  this  beautiful  world  of  ours, 
And  dear  as  a  smile  on  an  old  friend's  face 

Is  the  smile  of  tiie  bright  sweet  flowers. 
They  till  us  of  wanderings  by  woods  and  streams, 

They  tell  us  of  lanes  and  trees  ; 
But  the  cliildren  of  showers  and  sunny  beams 

Have  lovelier  tales  than  these — 

These  sweet  bright  flowers. 

They  tell  of  a  season  when  men  were  not, 

When  eartli  was  by  angels  trod, 
And  leaves  and  flowers  in  every  spot 

Burst  forth  at  the  call  of  God  ; 
When  spirits,  singing  their  songs  at  even. 

Wandered  by  wood  and  glade, 
And  the  Lord  looked  down  from  the  highest  heaven, 

And  blessed  what  he  had  made — 

These  bright,  bright  flowers 

That  blessing  remaineth  upon  them  still, 

Though  often  the  storm-cloud  lowers, 
And  frequent  tempests  may  soil  and  chill 

The  gayest  of  earth's  fair  flowers. 
When  Sin  nnd  Death,  with  their  sister  Grief, 

Made  a  home  in  the  hearts  of  men, 
The  blessing  of  God  in  each  tender  leaf 

Preserved  in  their  beauty  then 

These  sweet  bright  flowers. 

The  lily  is  lovely  as  when  it  slept 

On  the  waters  of  Eden's  lake, 
The  woodbine  breathes  sweetly  as  when  it  crept 

In  Eden  from  brake  to  brake : 
They  were  left  as  a  proof  of  the  loveliness 

Of  Adam  and  Eve's  first  home ; 
They  are  here  as  types  of  the  joys  that  bless 

The  just  in  the  world  to  come— 

These  bright,  bright  flowers. 


DOMESTIC  RECIPES. 

Nut  Cake. — Ingredients  :  Sugar,  two 
cups  ;  butter,  one  cup  ;  flour,  three  cups  ; 
water,  one  cup  ;  eggs,  four ;  soda,  one 
teaspoonful ;  cream  tartar,  two  teaspoons- 
ful ;  hickory  nut  kernels,  two  cups.  Mix 
the  ingredients,  adding  the  nut  kernels 
last. 

Lemon  Dumplings  — Ingredients :  Suet, 
four  ounces  ;  moist  sugar,  four  ounces  ; 
bread  crumbs,  one-half  pound  ;  lemon, 
one.  Grate  the  rind  of  the  lemon,  squeeze 
out  the  juice,  mix  all  the  ingredients. 
Put  in  buttered  tea  cups  and  boil  three 
quarters  of  an  hour. 

Apple  F  hitters. — Pare  and  slice  in 
large  round  slices  some  fine  tart  apples  ; 
sprinkle  the  slices  with  sugar,  and  squeeze 
over  them  the  juice  of  a  lemon,  and  let 
stand  a  few  hours.  Make  a  batter  of 
three  eggs  and  two  tablespoonsf ul  of  sweet 
milk,  with  flour  enough  for  a  thin  batter, 
in  which  dip  the  slices  of  apple,  and  fry 


separately  in  butter  or  lard.  When  done 
sprinkle  with  powdered  sugar. — Aaron's 
Wife  in  Prairie  Farmer. 

To  Pickle  Sweet  Corn. — Cut  the  com 
rows  from  the  cob ;  to  every  heaping  four 
quarts  you  mix  a  small  teacup  of  fine  salt; 
pack  in  jars  and  set  in  cool  place.  It  will 
soon  form  a  thick,  leathery  skin  over  the 
top ;  let  that  be  until  wanted  for  use  ;  when 
you  take  out  to  soak,  wash  it,  and  then 
soak  in  cold  water  for  a  few  hours  ;  it  will 
retain  its  flavor  far  better  than  either  dried 
or  canned,  and  is  far  less  trouble  to  care 
for  than  to  dry,  and  is  sure  to  keep  well 
until  spring. 

To  Pickle  Peaches,  Plums  and  Pears. 
— Take  of  ripe  peaches,  plums,  pears,  or 
apples;  seven  pounds  of  sugar,  one  quart 
of  vinegar,  and  one  ounce  of  mixed  spices  ; 
put  the  sugar  and  vinegar  together,  and 
pour  over  the  fruit,  allowing  it  to  stand  un- 
til the  next  morning,  when  repeat  this  pro- 
cess, straining  the  juice  of  the  fruit,  letting 
it  come  to  the  boil,  and  continue  to  do  so 
for  four  mornings;  then  add  spices,  and 
put  all  over  the  fire  and  cook  very  slowly 
until  they  look  rich  and  clear.  Pears 
should  be  boiled  in  water  until  you  can 
run  a  broom  whisk  through  them.  Quinces 
are  also  delicious  when  preserved  in  this 
manner. 


The  Schizanthus. — The  Schizanthus 
is  a  genus  of  beautiful  flowers,  adapted 
either  for  the  open  ground  or  conservatory. 
The  name  signifies  cut-flower.  All  the 
species  of  this  genus  we  believe,  are  natives 
of  Chili,  and  were  introduced  into  Europe 
between  1822  and  1831,  seeds  of  S.  pinnci- 
tus  having  been  carried  to  England  in  the 
former  year,  and  the  more  beautiful  spe- 
cies, S.  retusus,  at  the  latter  date.  If  seeds 
are  sown  in  a  hot-bed  or  cold-frame,  and 
plants  are  put  out  in  a  warm,  light  soil, 
they  will  sometimes  grow  three  or  four  feet 
in  height,  and  will  give  abundance  of  flow- 
ers during  the  middle  of  the  summer  and 
autumn.  We  have  also  succeeded  very  well 
by  sowing  the  seeds  in  the  open  ground 
in  May,  but  the  soil  must  be  mellow  and 
warm.  The  branches  are  slender  and  re- 
quire the  support  of  a  light  trellis,  and 
they  are  broken  very  easily  by  the  wind, 
so  that  a  sheltered  position  is  desirable. 


PRINTED  AT  THE  STEAM  PRESS  ESTABLISHMENT  or  COPP,  CLARK  ft  CO.,  COLBORME  STRBRT,  TORONTO. 


.ii(rft^iKi<'  A  Chroma  <  o-of  HovhiBlfi  N  Y 


I.  Standard  Royal 


Tu  LI  PS 


,  c, 


A     K/l    C    /^    KI 


3.YELL0W  Prince. 
4.  Crown  of  Roses     I 


THE 


VOL.  v.] 


JUNE,  1882. 


[No.  6. 


TULIPS 


These  beautiful  flowering  bulbs  can 
be  purchased  at  such  moderate  prices, 
and  be  grown  so  easily,  that  it  is  a 
wonder  that  every  lover  of  flowers  does 
not  have  a  large  bed  of  them.  Their 
colors  are  so  varied  and  brilliant  that 
they  make  a  most  gorgeous  display 
when  planted  in  masses  ;  and  they  are 
so  hardy  and  grow  so  readily  in  any 
good  garden  soil  that  there  is  not  the 
slightest  dijS&culty  in  their  cultivation. 

The  earliest  varieties  will  usually  be 
in  bloom  in  the  last  days  of  April,  and 
by  planting  the  sorts  that  come  later,  a 
succession  of  bloom  can  be  kept  up  until 
the  first  of  June.  The  Due  Van  Thol 
tulips  (Fig.  1),  are  the  first  to  bloom. 


Fto.  1.— Dvo  Vaw  Thoi.  Tulip. 
These  are  both  single  and  double  ;   the 
double  are  all  red  with  a  yellow  border. 


the  single  are  of  various  colors — scarlet, 
crimson,  yellow,  white,  &c.  These  all 
grow  about  six  inches  in  height,  and 
are  very  showy.  After  these  come  the 
variety  known  as  the  Tournesol  (Fig.  2), 


Fio.  2.— DoPBLK  Tulip  or  TocRNK8i)L. 

with  very  large  double  flowers,  yellow 
or  orange  and  i-ed,  which  continue  for  a 
long  tinio  without  fading.  These  are 
followed  by  Single  Eariy  Tulii)s  (Fig.  3), 
of  many  colors,  as  red,  crimson,  violet, 
purple,  yellow  ;  also  many  of  them 
very  beautifully  striped,  and  others 
edged  with   white   or   yellow  or   red. 


122 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


Flowering  as  they  do   so  early  in  the 
season,  they  continue   longer  than  the 


Fig.  3.— Single  Early  Tclip. 

late  flowering   and   make   a   splendid 
display. 

The  later  Tulips  (Fig.  4),  grow  taller 
than  the  earlier  sorts,  and  are  great 


Fio.  4.— Late  Show  Tulip. 

favorites  with  all  lovers  of  this  showy 
flower.  They  have  been  divided  in  sec- 
tions known  as  Bizarres,  Byblooms  and 
Roses.     The    Bizarres   have   a  yellow 


ground  color,  which  is  broken  with 
any  other  color,  as  purple  or  red ;  the 
Byblooms  have  the  ground  color  white, 
broken  with  purple;  and  the  Roses 
have  also  a  white  ground  color,  broken 
with  cherry,  crimson,  or  pmk.  Numer- 
ous rules  are  laid  down  for  judging 
these  tulips,  and  the  "  points  "  of  the 
flower  defined  with  most  minute  exact- 
ness ;  but  as  it  is  not  probable  that 
the  readers  of  the  Horticulturist  will 
be  growing  them  for  exhibition  pur- 
poses, we  shall  not  weary  them  with 
these  rules. 

In  planting  tulips  it  is  necessary  to 
choose  well-drained  soil,  as  standing 
water  is  very  injurious  to  them.  Au- 
tumn is  the  proper  season  for  planting 
them,  say  the  month  of  October.  They 
should  be  covered  to  the  depth  of  about 
three  inches,  in  soil  that  is  sufficiently 
rich  to  yield  a  good  crop  of  potatoes. 
An  occasional  stirring  of  the  surface 
and  eradication  of  weeds  is  all  the 
further  cultivation  required.  Most 
writei-s  on  tulips  insist  upon  the  neces- 
sity of  taking  up  the  bulbs  as  soon  as 
the  leaves  have  withered,  and  keeping 
them  in  a  cool,  dry  place  until  the 
planting  season.  It  is  true  that  if  this 
is  not  done  the  more  delicate  varieties 
will  die  out  after  a  while,  and  the 
stronger  will  loose  their  variegation 
and  revert  to  the  old  red  color.  But 
after  all,  one  gets  tired  of  the  same 
thing  year  after  year,  and  when  the 
tulip  bed  begins  to  run  out,  there  is  a 
pleasure  in  procuring  a  new  lot  to  sup- 
ply their  places,  and  enjoyment  in  mark- 
ing the  changes  that  further  cultivation 
by  those  who  devote  themselves  to  the 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


125 


raising   of  new  tulips   may   have  pro- 
duced. 

There  is  also  a  variety  known  as  the 
Parrot  Tulip  (Fig.  5),  having  long,  loose, 


Fio.  5.— Parhot  Tulip. 

fringed  petals,  the  most  of  them  having 
three  or  four  colors,  yellow,  ciimson, 
orange  and  green  intermingled,  the  yel- 
low color,  however,  usually  predominat- 
ing. They,  are  very  brilliant  and 
showy,  and  will  be  particularly  in- 
teresting to  those  who  are  not  familiar 
with  their  peculiar  form. 

The  Tulip  holds  a  conspicuous  posi- 
tion in  the  history  of  commercial  specu- 
lations. It  hardly  seems  possible  that 
men,  business  men.  shrewd  and  calcu- 
lating, should  have  been  so  beside  them- 
selves m  to  value  a  single  tulip  bulb  at 
one  and  two  thousand  dollara.  A 
Harlaem  merchant  paid  half  his  fortune 
for  a  tulip  that  he  might  keep  it  in  his 
garden  for  the  admiration  of  his  visi- 
tors. In  1635  the  tulip  mania  had 
seized  upon  all  classes,  and  speculation 
in  tulip  bulbs  took  the  place  of  ordinary 


business.  Upwards  of  $46,500  was 
paid  for  forty  bulbs,  and  a  sailor  is  said 
to  have  eaten  a  tulip  bulb,  mistaking  it 
for  an  onion,  the  value  of  which  would 
have  furnished  a  princely  dinner  party. 


DRIED  FOODS. 

At  present  we  export  to  Europe 
about  6,000,000  pounds  of  evaporated 
apples.  The  process  is  extremely 
simple.  The  fruit  is  "  cored  "  and  sliced 
into  pieces  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  in 
thickness  ;  it  is  then  exposed  to  sulphur 
fumes,  which  arrest  all  fermentation, 
and  then  to  a  dry  hot  blast  of  air,  which 
reduces  it  to  about  half  its  original 
weight.  The  sulphur  fumigation  pre- 
vents the  fruit  from  becoming  dark, 
and  after  drying  it  is  almost  as  white 
as  when  first  cut.  Simple  as  is  this 
process,  it  costs  about  twice  as  much  as 
drying  the  fruit  in  the  sun,  but  such  is 
the  saving  in  weight  and  flavor  that  it 
is  preferred,  and  evaporated  apples  sell 
to  day  in  the  European  markets  for  fif- 
teen cents  a  pound. 

An  old  produce  dealer  interested  in 
the  European  export  trade  told  an 
Evening  Post  reporter  that  in  view  of 
the  astounding  magnitude  of  the  export 
trade  in  food  products,  it  would  not  be 
surprising  to  hear  of  attempts  at  com- 
pressing or  drying  every  product  of  the 
country.  The  same  process  as  that 
applied  to  apples  has  been  used  with 
sonpe  success  with  peaches,  and  some 
berries  that  can  be  grown  cheaply,  and 
as  the  export  of  dried  food  products 
increases,  the  import  is  constantly  de- 
creasing. The  raisins  from  California 
promis<^  to  drive  all  foreign  raisins  out 
of  our  markets.  There  are  vineyards 
of  hundreds  of  acres  in  Placer,  El 
Dorado,  Los  Angelos,  San  Diego,  and 
other  counties,  given  up  to  growing  and 
drying  grapes,  partly  by  evaporation 
and  partly  by  sun  heat. 


124 


THE   CA.NADIAN    H0RTICULTDRI8T, 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE  GOOSEBERRY. 

The  Gooseberry  is  a  fruit  which 
seems  rather  at  a  disadvantasfe  in 
Ontario,  as  the  standard  English  sorts 
do  not  succeed,  both  from  their  liability 
to  mildew  and  because  their  mode  of 
growth  is  unsuited  to  the  climate. 

Only  two  kinds  are  considered  reli- 
able— the  Downing  and  the  Houghton, 
and  these  in  quality,  growth  and  size  of 
fruit  are  but  middling.  From  their 
appearance  I  should  suppose  these  to 
be  hybrids,  and  that  the  small,  smooth, 
swamp  berry  is  the  female  parent. 

If  this  be  correct,  it  is  quite  possible 
and  probable  that  we  may  yet  have  a 
considerable  number  of  new  sorts,  and 
of  a  much  better  quality  ;  but  the  mat- 
ter must  be  taken  up  without  loss  of 
time,  or  it  may  be  too  late. 

It  has  often  been  said  that  this  was 
a  land  of  wild  grapes,  but  when  first 
settled  it  was  even  more  a  country  of 
wild  gooseberries,  and  the  varieties 
were  endless  ;  red,  green,  rusty-purple, 
and  even  blue;  small,  middling  and 
large;  prickly,  spiny,  hairy  and  smooth. 

Some  of  the  two  last  are,  or  were,  of 
very  fine  flavour,  almost  equalling  the 
finest  English  kind,  which  is  also  hairy. 

In  many  old  settled  and  improved 
districts  the  native  gooseberry  is  prac- 
tically extinct,  and  ere  the  march  of 
civilization  completely  annihilates  it, 
we  need  men  of  observation,  practical 
and  scientific  knowledge,  who  have 
taste  and  leisure,  to  experiment  and 
improve  this  fruit.  Seedlings  with  the 
native  habit  of  growth,  and  the  fruit 
more  like  the  English  in  size,  would 
make  a  name  and  a  profit  for  the  suc- 
cessful originator.  But  even  if  good 
hybrids  cannot  be  produced,  we  need 
not  confine  ourselves  to  two  sorts,  nor 
to  twenty. 


When  this  district  was  new,  I  was 
struck  with  the  superior  habit  of  growth 
and  the  efficient  mode  of  renewal  of  the 
native  bushes  in  the  woods. 

On  trying  the  fruit  I  found  the 
quality  not  only  bad  and  indifferent, 
but  also  good,  and  used  to  mark  plants 
of  superior  flavour  when  ripe  that  I 
might  transplant  in  the  fall. 

In  this  way  I  selected  and  removed 
three  or  four  dozen  bushes,  which  filled 
a  considerable  plot  of  ground  when 
placed  at  a  due  distance  from  each 
other,  intending  to  prune,  mulch  and 
manure  them,  but  owing  to  various  un- 
toward circumstances  they  were  quite 
neglected. 

Notwithstanding  want  of  care  they 
have  borne  for  more  than  twenty-five 
years,  and  for  pies,  preserves  and  ripe 
use,  we  think  them  better,  and  cer- 
tainly more  reliable,  than  the  two 
standard  sorts. 

Several  years  ago  I  saved  and  sowed 
seed  from  the  best  and  largest,  but  did 
not  find  the  fruit  of  the  seedlings  equal 
to  the  parents.  Cultivation  will  not 
improve  them. 

They  differ  from  the  English  sorts 
in  having  a  disinclination  to  take  root 
from  cuttings,  but  any  sucker  or  off- 
shoot with  the  least  portion  of  root 
will  grow. 

Partial  shade  is  desirable,  as  in  some 
kinds  the  fruit  drops  considerably  in 
arid  situations. 

C.  Orillia. 


RKPORT  OF  FKlJIT  TREEvS. 

To  THK  Editor  of  the  Canadian  Horticclturist. 

Dear  Sir, — I  am  a  little  late  with 
my  report  for  1881.  The  winter  of 
1 880  and  *81  was  a  very  hard  one  here. 
My  Ontario  apple  tree  was  winter  killed 
dead  to  the  snow  line.  I  had  a  graft 
of  the  same  variety,  which  was  grafted 
into  a  seedling  stalk  ;  it  was  also  killed. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


125 


This  is  sufficient  proof  that  this  variety 
will  be  too  tender  for  Eastern  Ontario. 
T  had  two  trees  Beauty  of  Kent,  one 
Fall  Pippin,  one  Sweet  Bough,  bearing 
trees,  all  winter  killed  ;  also  a  row  of 
young  trees  of  Gravenstein,  eveiy  one 
killed.  My  Glass  Seedling  plum  sur- 
vived ;  the  fruit  buds  were  all  killed, 
but  the  tree  was  not  injured.  I  had  a 
fine  McLaughlin  plum  tree  killed.  My 
Flemish  Beauty  and  Clapp's  Favorite 
pear  trees  came  through  the  winter  un- 
injured, only  the  fruit  buds  were  killed. 
All  the  other  varieties  of  pear  trees 
that  I  liad  were  winter  killed.  The 
Swayzie  Pommie  Grise  and  Grime's 
Golden  apple  trees  are  growing  fine ; 
they  are  hardy.  Grime's  Golden  has 
borne  some  fruit  for  three  years.  My 
Burnet  grape  made  a  large  growth  last 
year,  but  bore  no  fruit,  which  disap- 
pointed me  very  much.  I  think  I 
over-manured  it ;  it  came  into  blossom 
the  latter  part  of  July,  and  the  blos- 
soms all  fell  off.  Do  you  think  that 
over-manuring  would  make  it  act  in 
this  way  ]  All  my  other  varieties  of 
grapes  bore  heavy,  but  none  got  any 
manure.  I  removed  the  surface  earth 
from  my  Burnet,  and  put  a  heavy  coat 
of  rotten  manure  over  the  roots  :  then 
put  the  earth  back  again  over  the 
manure.  I  have  heard  that  grapes 
•will  stand  any  amount  of  fertilizing, 
but  I  think  that  I  overdid  it.  I  find 
the  Burnet  needs  but  very  little  winter 
protection. 

The  cold  days  for  the  Winter  are  as 
follows :  November,  4  days  thermo- 
meter below  zero,  the  lowest  being  11 
degrees;  December,  1  day  10  below 
zero ;  January,  1 7  days  thermometer 
below  zero,  the  lowest  being  24 — it 
went  to  this  tigiire  three  times ;  Feb- 
ruary, 10  days  below  zero,  the  lowest 
25  degree-s.  The  average  cold  for  11 
days,  taking  the  last  four  days  of  Jan- 
uary and  til©  first  seven  days  of  Feb- 
ruary,   was    12 J   degrees   below   zero. 


The  ground  was  well  covered  wiih  snow 
the  whole  winter.     Yours  respectfully, 
A.  Bridge. 
West  Brook,  near  Kingston,  March,  1882. 


FRUITS  IN  ALGOMA. 

Mr.  Editor, — I  have  been  on  the 
point  of  writing  to  you  for  some  time, 
but  have  not,  as  I  have  been  trying  to 
promote  the  interest  of  our  Association; 
but  as  this  is  a  newly  settled  part  of 
the  country,  and  some  have  not  enough 
land  under  cultivation  to  allow  them 
to  set  apart  an  orchard,  so  they  say 
they  would  rather  wait  a  while  longer, 
and  see  how  the  trees  and  vines  giow 
and  stand  the  winters  before  purchasing 
for  themselves.  We  have  quite  a 
variety  of  wild  fruits,  such  as  straw- 
ben-ies,  raspberries,  gooseben-ies,  cran- 
berries, and  •  I  have  heard  of  a  few 
wild  grapes,  but  as  I  have  not  seen 
any,  T  cannot  speak  about  them.  There 
are  also  some  very  old  apple  trees  on 
this  island  which  bear  fruit  most  sea- 
sons, but  seldom  have  a  chance  to  ripen, 
as  the  Indian  and  half-breed  pick  them 
before  they  ripen.  One  of  my  neigh- 
bours ripened  a  few  bunches  of  Concord 
grapes  last  season.  I  have  four  Con- 
cord and  four  Isabella  vines,  but  they 
are  not  bearing  yet.  I  expect  they 
will  have  some  fruit  this  summer.  All 
small  fruits  will  do  well  here,  and  I 
think  that  if  we  can  get  the  most  hardy 
that  will  ripen  early,  that  we  can  grow 
apples.  I  don't  see  why  we  should 
not,  as  our  climate  is  no  worse  than 
that  of  CoUingwood  or  Goderich,  and 
they  grow  fruit  in  these  townshipg. 
Also  at  Sault  St.  Mary's,  I  am  told, 
they  have  fine  orchards,  and  ripen  their 
fruit.  Most  of  the  tops  of  my  apple, 
pear,  plum  and  cherry  trees  got  killed 
last  winter,  but  sprouted  out  of  the 
stems  or  roots.  I  will  still  protect 
them,  and  see  if  I  can  make  anything 
out  of  them.     I   intend  trying  some 


126 


THE   CANADIAN    IiaRTIOULTURIST. 


Black  Walnut  and  Chestnut  trees  this  | 
next  spring,  unless  you  think  we  arc  ' 
too  far  north  to  admit  of  their  growing. 
If  you  think  they  would  not  do  well 
here,  I  wish  you  would  make  a  note  of 
it  in  next  number.  I  read  the  articles 
in  one  of  the  back  numbers,  and  don't 
understand  if  that  is  the  only  distance 
north  that  such  trees  will  grow.  Of 
course  we  have  no  such  trees  here,  and 
I  would  like  to  plant  a  few  to  test  them 
for  a  winter  or  two.  I  cannot  think 
of  any  more  at  present  to  mention,  so 
hoping  you  will  excuse  this  from  one 
who  is  not  accustomed  to  write  long 
letters, 

I  remain,  yours  respectfully, 

Jas.  C.  Cooper. 
Note. — It  is  not   probable  that  the 
Sweet    Chestnut    would    endure     the 
climate.     The  Black  Walnut  might. 


ENGLISH  SPARROWS. 

To  THE   EDITOK   or  THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTORIST. 

Sir, — In  your  March  number  there 
was  a  communication  from  Mr.  New- 
hall,  referring  to  an  article  from  an 
Australian  paper  respecting  the  des- 
tructiveness  of  the  English  sparrow, 
which  article  I  had  previously  read. 

As  Mr.  Newhall  gave  no  particulars 
of  his  own  observation,  I  doubted  the 
facts  as  stated,  as  my  garden  and  small 
plum  orchard  is  constantly  filled  with 
sparrows,  they  having  made  it  a  roost- 
ing place  all  winter,  and  I  had  never 
noticed  any  harm  they  had  done  to 
fruit  or  fruit  buds. 

I  wrote  a  short  article  to  send  you 
to  that  eflfect,  but  before  sending  it  I 
happened  to  notice  a  pear  tree  in  my 
garden  with  a  dozen  of  sparrows  on  it 
busy  pecking  at  the  fruit  buds  which 
were  then  just  beginning  to  expand, 
and  going  to  examine  them  closely  I 
found  they  were  nibbling  at  the  in- 
cipient stalks  of  the  blossoms.     Think- 


ing they  might  be  after  insects,  I  con- 
cluded to  watch  them  more  carefully 
before  writing  you  ;  but  on  going  into 
my  plum  yard  adjoining,  I  found  there 
was  hardly  a  fruit  bud  left  on  several 
hundred  bearing  plum  trees,  the  places 
where  the  fruit  buds  had  been  picked 
out  being  quite  distinct  all  over  the 
trees.  They  had  not  then  touched  any 
cherry  or  peach  buds,  but  on  Saturday 
last  I  discovered  dozens  of  sparrows 
on  my  specimen  tree  of  the  new 
"Windsor  cherry"  seedling,  which 
stands  at  my  kitchen  door,  and  which 
was,  as  usual,  perfectly  covered  with 
an  enormous  show  of  blossoms.  On 
examining  closely,  standing  under  the 
tree  and  looking  up,  I  saw  they  were 
all  busy  eating  the  unopened  fruit  blos- 
soms, and  looking  under  the  tree  found 
the  ground  covered  with  the  debris  of 
the  buds  dropped  in  eating  them.  Since 
then  they  have  been  busy  on  all  my 
cherry  trees,  more  than  half  of  the 
unopened  blossoms  being  already  gone. 
To-day  I  found  them  eating  the  peach 
blossoms  for  the  first  time,  and  doubt 
not  but  all  will  be  destroyed  before  the 
week  is  over,  as  there  are  hundreds  of 
them  busy  at  work  all  the  time. 

It  is  evident  that  strong  measures 
must  be  taken  to  prevent  the  spread  of 
the  sparrow,  and  to  destroy  them  wliere' 
they  are  already  a  nuisance,  as  they 
are  here.  As  long  as  they  were  few  in 
numbers  they  did  apparently  little  or 
no  injury  to  the  trees  or  fruit,  li-ving 
on  what  they  could  pick  up  out  of  the 
horse  droppings  on  the  streets  and  any 
spilt  grain  about  the  railway  depot  and 
elsewhere.  But  this  spring  there  has 
been  little  or  no  movement  of  grain  by 
rail,  and  the  birds  have  increased  so 
much  that  they  can't  make  a  living  oflT 
the  horse  droppings,  and  have  been 
supplimenting  it  with  fruit  buds. 

The  benefit  they  were  to  do  in  des- 
truction of  insects   has    been   greatly 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTITRIST. 


127' 


exaggerated.  It  is  only  -when  they 
have  young  that  they  hunt  for  them. 
I  saw  a  fern  lie  to-day  busy  catching 
spiders  from  a  vine  trained  against  a 
wall,  while  several  hundred  others  were 
eating  fruit  buds.  One  chipping  spar- 
row is  worth  twenty  English  for  dee- 
troying  insects,  while  the  English  drives 
them  away. 

Law  or  no  law,  I  will  try  and  des- 
troy as  many  sparrows  as  I  can  in  the 
most  wholesale  manner  possible. 
Yours  truly, 

James  Dougall. 
Windsor  Nurseries,  April,  1882. 


♦♦  LOST  RUBIES." 
To  THB  Editor  or  the  Canadian  Horticulturist. 

Dear  Sir, — Allow  me  to  call  the 
attention  of  your  correspondent,  Mr. 
J.  C.  Robinson,  of  Owen  Sound,  to  an 
unfortunate  slip  in  his  note  on  page  95 
of  your  April  number. 

Mr.  Robinson  says,  "  No  one  can 
convince  me  that  '  Lost  Rubies '  is 
akin  to  foreign  sorts  ;  the  leaf  and  cane 
art  as  plainly  native  as  our  Canada 
thistle." 

Mr.  Robinson  will  be  perhaps  mor- 
tified to  learn  that  Canada  cannot  claim 
the  honour  of  being  the  mother  coun- 
try of  this  prolific  thistle.  Had  he 
seen  as  many  acres  of  it  as  I  have  seen 
in  the  old  country,  he  would  know  that, 
like  many  others  of  our  plant  and  in- 
sect pests,  it  has  been  introduced — 
like  the  white  man  himself.  The 
simile  was  unfortunate  for  his  argu- 
ment. 

While  I  am  writing,  T  should  like 
to  mention  that  the  name  of  the  manu- 
facturer of  Buhach,  on  page  76,  should 
be  Mr.  Milco,  not  Miles.  This  correc- 
tion may  prevent  the  miscarriage  of 
letters.  g  ^  Clatpol.. 

New  Bloomfield,  Perry  Co.,  Pa. 


GRAPE  VINES  AT  BALTIMORE. 

I  am  well  pleased  with  the  Canadian 
Horticulturist.  It  was  a  well-spent 
dollar.  The  repoi-t  is  well  worth  the 
amount.  I  have  over  nine  hundred 
Grape  Vines  set  out  at  present ;  and 
I  am  ex|)erimenting  and  trying  to  im- 
prove or  invent  new  or  better  systems 
of  training,  that  will  harmonize  better 
with  the  natural  growth  of  the  vine, 
and  that  can  be  successfully  and  econ- 
omically laid  down  and  covered  for 
winter,  which  is  a  necessity  in  this 
country.  T.  A.  Chapman. 


CANADIAN  APPLES  IN  THE 
ENGLISH  MARKET. 

The  arrivals  of  Canadian  apples  at 
the  port  of  Liverpool  last  year  were 
something  over  200,000  barrels,  but  ow- 
ing to  the  shortness  of  the  crop  in  both 
the  United  States  and  Canada  these 
numbers  will  certainly  not  be  reached  by 
the  imports  from  the  two  countries  dur- 
ing the  present  { 1 88 1 )  season.  In  fact,  the 
shipments  to  Liverpool  within  the  last 
three  months,  as  compared  with  those  in 
the  corresponding  period  of  last  year, 
show  a  decrease  of  nearly  30,000  bar- 
rels. W  ith  the  view  of  giving  the  trade 
an  opportunity  of  judging  for  them- 
selves as  to  the  most  valuable  class  of 
apples  to  be  imported  to  this  country, 
Mr.  Smythe,  the  Canadian  Government 
Agent  at  London,  Ontario,  has  forward- 
ed a  consignment  of  some  hundred  dif- 
ferent varieties  of  Canadian  apples, 
properly  classified,  which  were  supplied 
by  the  leading  growers  in  his  district. 
These  are  on  exhibition  at  Liverpool. 
It  is  expected  that  the  next  Allan 
steamship  will  bring  from  Canada  a 
further  supply,  which  will  be  exhibited 
at  the  letuling  pomocultural  shows  in 
Great  Britain.  By  this  means  it  is  in- 
tended to  promote  the  interests  of  this 
important  branch  of  the  Canadian  ex- 
port trade. — The  Grocer. 


123 


TIIK   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  UTILITY  AND  BEAUTY  OF 
TREES. 

Address  0/  *he  Iton.  George  B.  Loring,  United  Staies 
Commissioner  of  Agricid'ure,  delivered  hefore  the 
American  Forestry  Congress,  at  their  recertt  meeting 
in  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Gentlemen,— I  have  accepted  your 
invitation  to  be  present  on  this  occasion 
and  to  preside  over  your  deliberations, 
not  because  I  Feel  competent  to  instruct 
in  the  art  of  forestry,  but  in  order  that 
I  might  assure  you  of  the  sympathy  of 
the  Agricultural  Department  of  the 
Government,  and  of  my  own  high  esti- 
mate of  the  value  of  your  work.  The 
question  of  forestry  is  one  of  the  most 
intricate  and  difficult  of  all  the  agricul- 
tural problems  which  come  before  us. 

That  our  forests  are  wasted  by  reck- 
less extravagance  and  by  uncontrollable 
conflagrations ;  that  they  are  diminish- 
ing before  the  immense  demands  upon 
their  products,  we  all  know.  Their 
importance  as  a  climatic  influence  is 
conceded.  The  profit  of  tree-growing 
on  wisely  selected  lands  is  acknow- 
ledged. But  the  methods  by  which 
our  forests  can  be  restored  and  pre- 
served  still  puzzle  the  statesman  and 
the  cultivator  alike.  The  nature  of 
property  in  timber  lands  as  adjusted 
for  the  State  and  the  individual,  in  all 
those  countries  where  the  forests  have 
attracted  the  special  attention  of  the 
Government,  particularly  in  the  Old 
"World,  has  so  much  of  exclusiveness 
and  reservation  for  the  gratification  of 
personal  desires,  that  we  can  derive 
but  little  benefit  from  its  study.  The 
rights  and  powers  and  duties  of  State 
and  Federal  legislation,  as  regards  our 
forests,  require  the  most  careful  and 
ingenious  consideration.  We  learn 
from  the  statistical  returns  the  vast 
value  of  forest  products  to  our  com- 
merce, to  our  domestic  manufactures, 
to  our  internal  trade.  And  by  con- 
stant investigation  we  are  ascertaining 
the  best  systems  of  tree-planting,  and 
of  cultivating  specific  wood  crops  in 


favorable  localities.  You  will  pardon 
me,  therefore,  while  I  leave  all  these 
difficult,  practical  problems  for  the  con- 
sideration of  those  who  have  brought 
here  the  results  of  long  study  and  ex- 
perience, and  turn  my  attention  to  the 
value  and 

IMPORTANCE  OP  TREE  CULTURE 

as  one  of  those  arts  by  which  man 
beautifies  his  abode,  and  manifests  that 
taste  which  especially  distinguishes 
him  in  the  scale  of  animate  being,  and 
which  he  labors  to  gratify  as  soon  as 
he  has  laid  the  hard  and  substantial 
foundations  of  State  and  Society.  Men 
build  first,  and  then  plant.  The  pri- 
mary work  of  erecting  an  empire,  in 
which  all  the  sturdy  virtues  are  called 
into  operation,  and  where  courage  fixes 
the  national  power,  and  wisdom  es- 
tablishes the  national  education,  is  not 
a  field  for  the  exercise  of  man's  love  of 
beauty.  With  the  wars  and  the  fell- 
ing of  the  forests,  and  the  log  cabin 
and  primitive  school-house  of  a  newly- 
settled  country  and  a  newly-founded 
empire,  taste  has  but  little  to  do.  But 
when  safety  and  property  are  made 
secure,  and  the  highways  are  well  worn, 
and  the  skill  and  strength  of  the  culti- 
vator have  stripped  the  landscape  of  its 
natural  beauty,  and  the  foot  of  man 
has  trampled  out  the  graceful  lines  in 
which  Nature  always  works,  then  there 
uprises  man's  demand  for  the  beautiful, 
and  he  endeavors  to  restore  by  art 
what  he  was  obliged  to  destroy  for  his 
subsistence.  For  whatever  may  be  his 
outward  circumstance,  however  harden- 
ing and  depressing  may  be  the  inci- 
dents of  his  life,  man  has  an  instinctive 
love  of  beauty,  which  insists  on  being 
gratified.  He  knows  that  this  is  his 
distinguishing  characteristic  which  se- 
parates him  from  the  beasts  that  perish 
— an  element  of  his  mind  and  heart 
which  leads  him  "from  nature  up  to 
nature's   God."     To   him   the    sunrise 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTlCULTtrRlST, 


129 


means  gloiy  as  well  as  daylight.  The 
lone  and  lofty  mountains  elevate  him 
to  the  contemplation  of  the  Almighty 
power,  even  while  they  are  "  a  shelter 
to  the  wild  goats ;"  and  the  dewy  pas- 
tures  where  the  cattle  graze  and  recline 
in  the  long  shadows,  lull  him  to  the 
sweets  of  evening  repose ;  the  spark- 
iiiig  stream,  "where  the  wild  asses 
•quench  their  thirst,"  will  soothe  and 
sing  him  to  happiness  and  rest.  The 
majestic  and  commanding  tree,  whose 
widespread  branches  shelter  the  pant- 
ing animals  from  the  blaze  of  the  noon- 
tide sun,  is  a  picture  of  power  and 
strength  and  varying  loveliness,  which 
is  to  him  a  source  of  never-ending  de- 
light. When  his  eye  surveys  the  swell- 
ing  landscape,  the  emotions  which  be- 
long to  him  as  a  child  of  the  Creator 
of  all,  inspire  and  elevate  him  above 
the  earth  on  which  he  treads,  and  dis- 
tinguish him  from  that  other  order  of 
animal  existence,  to  which  all  scenery 
is  alike,  whose  sensibilities  no  ugliness 
of  nature  or  art  offends,  which  no  staiTy 
heavens  delight,  and  no  homely  sur- 
roundings disturb ;  whose  vision  is 
blind  both  to  the  graces  and  deformi- 
ties of  even  its  own  kind,  which  nibbles 
the  daisy  and  the  June  gi'ass  with 
-equal  satisfaction,  and  whose  soul  "  can 
not  rejoice  with  those  who  rejoice,  nor 
weep  with  those  who  weep."  It  is 
man  alone  who  knows  that  "  a  thing  of 
beauty  is  a  joy  forever." 

TASTE    IN    TREE    PLANTING. 

It  is  in  accordance  with  this  senti- 
ment that  man  has  applied  his  skill 
and  taste  to  the  creation  of  all  the 
charming  scenery  of  groves  and  bowers 
and  gardens,  and  to  the  enhancement 
of  natural  beauties  themselves.  Great 
gardens  of  antiquity,  the  monstrous 
towering  pleasure  grounds  of  Rome  and 
Babylon,  set  an  example  which  ad- 
vancing civilieatien  has  not  failed  to 
follow.     The  cultivation  of  parks  and 


gardens  constitutes  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  important  duties  of 
modem  art — a  duty  in  the  faithful  per- 
formance of  which  England  has  set  an 
admirable  example.  Leaving,  in  the 
early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
the  formal  and  heavy  style  then  in 
vogue,  through  the  influence  of  some 
of  her  most  illustrious  poets — Addison 
at  Bilton,  and  Pope  at  Twickenham — 
the  English  people  revolutionized  that 
whole  system,  and  established  that 
classical  style  of  planting  which  has 
since  been  so  much  admired  and  imi- 
tated throughout  the  most  refined  parts 
of  Europe. 

This  science  of  landscape  gardening, 
which  advanced  so  slowly  in  the  Old 
World,  and  the  proper  system  of  con- 
structing a  city  with  light  and  water, 
and  parks  and  sliaded  streets,  which 
was  so  shamefully  neglected  until  a 
comparatively  recent  period  there,  have 
until  within  a  few  yeai-s  been  entirely 
overlooked  ia  our  own  country. 

When  more  than  seventy  years  ago, 
the  city  of  Cincinnati  was  founded  and 
the  spot  was  chosen  on  which  has  been 
erected  such  a  splendid  aiTay  of  public 
buildings,  private  dwellings,  music 
halls,  art  galleries,  churches  and  lib- 
raries, the  application  of  art  to  the 
arrangement  of  gardens,  parks,  streets 
and  highways,  was  hardly  thought  of. 
It  was  enough  to  clear  the  land  and  till 
it  without  converting  it  into  a  pleasing 
picture.  It  was  all  the  early  settlers 
in  our  country  could  do  to  blaze  a  path 
through  the  forest  without  considering 
how  best  to  crown  and  drain  a  highway, 
and  it  was  not  until  after  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  that  the  planting  of  trees 
and  shrubs  was  made  a  necessary  part 
of  the  laying  out  of  gardens  and  grounds. 
I  remember  well  the  only  garden  in  the 
State  of  Massachusetts,  laid  out  early  in 
this  century  by  an  English  gardener, 
and  kept  in  good  order  until  within  a 


130 


THE   CANADIA.N    HORTlOtTLTUEIST. 


dozen  years,  an  object  of  delight  to  all 
who  were  allowed  to  enter  its  sacred 
inclosure  and  perambulate  its  well- 
visited  walks.  Such  a  scene  as  this 
was  rare.  Public-spirited  citizens  plant 
ed  avenues  of  trees  in  highways,  and 
were  considered  benefactors.  Here  and 
there  a  "  door-yard  "  was  ornamented 
with  clumps  of  lilacs  and  syringas,  but 
nowhere,  that  I  am  aware  of,  were 
there  associations  of  enterprising  and 
tasteful  citizens  organized  for  the  pur- 
pose of  adorning  their  towns  and  of 
providing  for  the  health  and  comfort  of 
themselves  and  of  the  community  of 
which  they  formed  a  part.  It  remained 
for  our  own  generation  to  unite  for  so 
important  and  laudable  a  purpose  ;  and 
I  congratulate  this  beautiful  city  that 
its  natural  comeliness  has  been  en- 
hanced and  its  suburbs  made  delightful 
by  the  combined  efforts  of  those  who 
believe  that  a  love  of  beauty  is  a  hu- 
man attribute,  and  that  we  are  under 
a  sacred  obligation  to  preserve  that 
health  which  is  given  us  for  a  high  and 
useful  purpose.  The  practical  service 
of  an  association  like  this,  as  I  have 
said,  it  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  dis- 
cuss here,  in  the  presence  of  those  who 
know  by  experience  how  trees  and 
shrubs  should  be  grouped ;  who  have 
learned  that  an  evergreen  should  be 
transplanted  in  August,  and  that  a  lit- 
tle lime  and  muck  applied  to  the  roots 
when  it  is  planted  will  give  it  a  won- 
derful stimulus  j  who  understand  that 
a  plantation  of  trees  should  be  made  to 
suit  the  building  it  is  to  surround  and 
the  landscape  it  is  to  occupy;  that 
trees  should  not  be  planted  too  near  a 
building,  or  too  near  each  other ;  that 
the  plants  nearest  the  house  should  be 
low  in  stature  and  of  a  beautiful  sort ; 
that  the  shades  of  green  should  be  pro- 
perly blended,  and  the  foliage  selected 
accordingly ;  that  trees  should  be  pro- 
tected by  each  other  against  those 
winds  which  are  obnoxious  to  them; 


that  the  Norway  will  not  bear  the 
rough  gales  from  the  sea,  and  that  the 
Scotch  pine  rejoices  in  them;  that 
trees  and  plants  should  not  be  "  mar- 
shalled in  regular  order  and  at  equal 
distances,"  like  beaux  and  belles  stand- 
ing up  for  a  quadrille  or  country  dance; 
"  that  it  is  easier,"  as  Downing  says, 
"  to  make  a  tasteful  park  by  planting 
new  trees  than  by  thinning  out  an  old 
forest,  and  that  nature  herself  is  full 
of  hints  and  suggestions,"  an  observ- 
ance of  which  constitutes  the  highest 
art  of  which  man  is  capable  in  all  that 
work  of  which  earth,  sea  and  sky  form 
a  part.  With  all  this  you  have  long 
been  familiar,  as  the  practicable  part 
of  a  most  agreeable  labor ;  but  for  the 
trees  themselves,  these  living  monu- 
ments of  nature's  bounty,  or  of  man's 
skill ;  those  landmarks  which  we  love 
to  contemplate ;  those  sentinels  and 
armies  along  the  landscape ;  those  silent 
friends  who  somehow  connect  them- 
selves with  so  many  of  the  dearest 
scenes  and  events  of  our  lives,  and 
watch  over  the  graves  of  the  departed 
day  and  night,  and  through  all  the 
changing  seasons — for  the  trees  them- 
selves let  us  say  a  word. 

BEAUTIFUL    TREES. 

Now  I  know  not  how  it  is,  but  next 
to  the  face  of  an  old  friend  returned 
from  a  long  absence,  the  sight  of  a 
landscape  or  a  tree,  once  familiar  and 
connected  with  the  early  event  of  our 
lives,  long  lost  and  now  bursting  upon 
our  vision,  fills  us  with  the  tenderesb 
emotion.  Who  that  has  suddenly  come 
upon  a  flower  by  the  wayside  in  a 
foreign  land,  which  grew  beside  some 
well  known  path  in  the  country  of  his 
home,  has  not  been  filled  with  sweet 
recollections  and  transported  to  that 
spot  which  will  forever  outshine  the 
glory  of  all  others  1 

How  often  have  we  turned  our  eyes 
unexpectedly  upon  a  solitary  tree  keep- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


131 


ing  watch  and  ward  over  a  hillside 
pasture,  and  at  once,  as  it"  the  heavens 
had  been  opened,  there  came  a  vision 
as  dear  to  us  as  the  memory  of  that 
sacred  band  of  the  loved  and  lost  ! 
How  often  has  a  footpath,  winding 
through  the  woods,  opened  suddenly 
upon  us,  and  in  a  moment  a  long  past, 
and  perhaps  long-forgotten  hour  of 
joy,  shone  around  about  us  1  The  trees 
are  indeed  our  companions,  clothed  by 
us  with  the  most  delightful  associations, 
appealing  and  responding  at  once  to 
our  sense  of  beauty,  and  preserving,  as 
it  were,  with  tender  care  our  choicest 
memories.  Their  story  is  all  told  and 
well  told  by  the  young  Indian  who,  in 
the  midst  of  the  splendor  of  Paris,  re- 
gretting the  simple  beauty  of  his  native 
island,  sprang  forward  at  the  unex- 
pected sight  of  a  banana  tree  in  the 
Jardin  des  Plantes,  embraced  it  while 
his  eyes  were  bathed  in  tears,  and  ex- 
claiming with  a  voice  of  joy,  *'  Ah, 
tree  of  my  country,"  seemed  by  a  de- 
lightful illusion  of  sensibility  to  imagine 
himself  for  a  moment  transpoi"ted  to 
the  land  which  gave  him  birth. 

TREES    OF    HISTORY. 

And  then  what  a  living  and  vital 
interest  gathers  about  those  trees  which 
either  by  accident  or  by  design  have 
become  monumental  and  representative. 
To  know  them  well  is  to  be  intimate 
with  the  great  deeds  and  the  great  men 
of  history.  Into  what  classic  associa- 
tions and  deeds  of  daring,  and  raging 
and  majestic  conflicts  by  land  and  by 
sea,  and  profound  mysteries  and  rites 
are  we  borne  by  the  long  and  interest- 
ing story  of  the 

OAK, 

the  tree  which  Pliny  says  held  "  Hotws 
apnd  Romanoa perpetuus" — the  highest 
honor  and  repute  with  the  Romans. 
We  recall  the  solemn  ceremonies  of  the 
Druids  among  the  oak  groves  which 
*Btood  strong  and  solemn  on  English 


soil,  during  the  morning  twilight  of 
English  civilization.  The  scarred  and 
sturdy  tree  near  "  White  Lady's,"  in 
which  the  defeated  monarch  hid  him- 
self after  his  almost  miraculous  escape 
at  the  battle  of  Worcester — how  like  a 
guardian  angel  it  stands  in  the  history 
of  royalty  in  England. 

The  contemporary  of  this  tree,  the 
wide-spreading  oak  of  Hartford,  spared 
from  the  primeval  forests  of  America, 
as  imposing  and  perhaps  as  ancient 
as  the  Pyramids,  decayed  and  bro- 
ken, concealing  in  its  stout  heart 
the  Charter  of  Colonial  Privileges —  • 
what  a  cherished  and  commanding 
figure  it  is  in  the  record  of  freedom  on 
this  Continent !  What  a  tale  of  valor 
and  proud  endeavor,  and  the  heroism 
which  triumphs  where  "  the  battle 
rages  long  and  loud,"  could  that  pas- 
ture oak  tell,  which  was  borne  from 
the  fair  hillside  of  Andover,  Massa- 
chusetts, to  become  the  sternpost  of 
the  immortal  frigate  Constitution  1 

THE    ELM. 

Call  to  mind  now  the  story  of  the  elm 
tree,  and  what  a  mingling  of  fable  and 
fiction  and  interesting  fact  gathers 
around  it.  When  Orpheus  returned 
to  earth  from  his  melodious  mission  for 
Eurydice  to  the  dominions  of  Pluto, 
and  sat  him  down  upon  the  verdant 
hill,  it  was  the  elm  which  first  re- 
sponded to  his  plaintive  airs,  and 
offered  him  his  refreshing  shade.  It 
gave  its  name  to  the  imi>erial  city  of 
Ulm,  in  Germany,  and  as  Elm  wood  it 
designates  the  home  of  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  of  modern  American  poets. 

The  elm  planted  by  Henry  IV.,  of 
France,  in  the  Luxembourg  gardens  of 
Paris  ;  the  elm  which  Queen  Eliztibeth 
planted  with  her  own  hands  at  Chelsea, 
while  waiting  for  the  crown  ;  the  elms 
planted  by  Sir  Francis  Bacon  in  Gray's 
Inn  walks,  will  not  be  forgotten  so  long 
as   the   memory  of  these   remarkable 


132 


THE   CANADIAN    H0RTICULTIJRI8T. 


persons  shall  endure.  And  when  we 
turn  to  the  pages  of  Cohimella  to  learn 
the  food  most  used  for  cattle  in  his 
day ;  and  to  the  plays  of  Plautus  to 
read  with  what  twigs  the  Roman  rogues 
were  beaten ;  and  to  Evelyn  to  find  out 
what  timber  made  the  best  pipes, 
pumps,  poles,  ship-planks,  beneath  the 
water  line ;  and  to  Galen  and  Pliny 
for  a  sovereign  remedy  for  all  the  ills 
that  flesh  is  heir  to — we  find  that  the 
elm  reigns  supreme,  and  is  nutritive, 
corrective,  medicinal,  and  imperishable, 
alike.  To  my  mind  there  gather  around 
this  tree,  also,  historic  associations  at 
once  romantic  and  tender.  One  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  ago.  Captain  John 
Love  well,  of  Dunstable,  Mass.,  with  a 
little  band  of  forty-six  followers,  started 
in  early  spring  to  drive  Pangus  and  his 
tribe  of  Piqnackets  from  the  fertile 
lands  which  they  occupied  near  Frye- 
burg,  Maine,  and  from  which  they 
made  their  murderous  assaults  on  the 
white  settlements.  The  march  was 
through  pathless  woods,  and  the  expedi- 
tion was  one  which  required  all  the 
strength  and  courage  which  man  can 
possibly  command.  Chaplain  Frye, 
who  accompanied  the  little  army,  was 
a  young  man,  born  in  Andover,  a 
graduate  of  Harvard,  an  exemplary 
youth,  an  accomplished  scholar,  and  a 
devoted  servant  of  Christ,  the  profession 
which  he  had  chosen.  On  that  beauti- 
ful May  morning,  when  Captain  Love- 
well's  men  were  ambushed  by  the  Indian 
warriors  of  Pangus,  on  the  shore  of  the 
Piquacket  Pond,  Chaplain  Frye  was 
one  of  the  first  to  fall  mortally  wounded. 
When  he  left  his  home  to  join  the 
expedition  he  planted  an  elm  tree,  in 
that  early  spring  time,  on  a  command- 
ing eminence  in  his  native  town,  in 
order,  as  he  said,  that  he  might  be 
remembered  should  he  fall  in  battle ; 
and  there  it  stands  at  this  day,  a  lofty 
fiHX^  noble  monument  to  the  devoted 
jpxmg  Chaplain,  putting  on  its  green 


robe  each  year  on  the  annivei-sary  of 
his  death,  and  taking  on  its  sad  yellow 
hue  in  the  autumn  as  if  in  mourning 
for  him  whose  name  it  bears.  And  to 
every  son  and  daughter  of  America, 
what  a  representative  tree  this  is ! 
Would  you  learn  its  significance  1  Go 
with  me,  then,  to  that  ancient  farm- 
house, standing  as  it  has  stood  for  more 
than  a  century  on  that  sunny  slope 
which  our  fathers  loved  so  well.  That 
ancient  dwelling,  with  its  broad  and 
open  front,  receiving  on  its  ample  brow 
the  sweet  south  wind,  and  with  its  long 
sloping,  defiant  roof  in  the  rear,  closed 
firm  against  the  invading  north,  the 
type  of  our  ancestral  architecture.  It 
stands  there  still,  as  it  has  stood  for 
generations,  gathered  around  and  sup- 
ported by  the  massive  chimney,  which 
has  so  long  sustained  and  warmed  its 
hospitable  heart.  It  is  a  bright  June 
morning,  and  the  sun  is  pouring  in  its 
flood  of  light  upon  the  narrow  entry, 
with  its  homespun  carpet,  and  its  steep 
and  winding  stairway,  leading  to  the 
cheerful  chambers,  fragrant  with  sweet 
herbs  and  the  sweeter  air  of  heaven. 
From  the  sunken  door-stone,  trod  into 
earth  by  the  footsteps  of  many  a  hardy 
and  honest  generation,  to  the  humble 
roadside,  the  green  and  grassy  slope 
extends,  telling  its  story  of  the  joy  and 
happiness  which  have  gathered  on  its 
sod,  and  the  sad  tale  also  of  sorrow  and 
woe,  how  young  and  old  have  been 
borne  out  of  that  threshold,  the  child 
and  the  mother,  the  youth  and  the  gray- 
haired  father,  amidst  teai^s  and  sobs, 
down  to  the  silence  of  the  grave.  And 
over  all  that  scene  the  drooping  elm 
looks  down  from  its  towering  height,  a 
witness  of  the  domestic  drama  which 
has  been  acted  there  for  years,  and  now 
the  recognized  type  of  those  virtues 
which  adorned  our  ancestors,  those  pro- 
tests and  assertions  which  made  them 
great,  the  courage  and  defiance  which 
made  us  free.     Do  you  think  there  ia 


THE    CANADIAN    H0ETICULTUR18T. 


133 


in  all  the  world  another  tree  like  this 
American  elm — the  accepted  ornament 
of  our  ancient  rural  homes,  the  grand 
and  solitary  sentinel,  seen  from  afar, 
and  telling  this  story  of  American  life 
with  which  you  are  all  so  familiar,  and 
of  which  you  are  all  so  proud  ?  In  this 
centennial  period  of  our  history,  too, 
how  this  tree  is  woven  into  the  heroic 
events  of  our  annals  !  There  are  many 
incidents  of  that  great  time  when  our 
fathers  rose  up  to  assert  their  independ- 
ence ;  the  amazing  stand  at  Lexington 
and  Concord  ;  the  calm  and  steady 
courage  at  Bunker  Hill ;  the  solemn 
assembling  of  the  Continental  Congress; 
the  generous  devotion  of  the  colonies 
to  each  other ;  the  impressive  patience 
of  our  own  great  revolutionary  exist- 
ence ;  but  not  one  stands  out  in  grander 
proportions  than  that  scene  at  Cam- 
bridge, when  Washington,  in  the  calm 
majesty  of  his  manly  strength,  assumed 
the  command  of  a  disorganized  body  of 
militia,  named  it  the  Continental  army, 
and  waged  war  against  the  most  power- 
ful Empire  fend  the  best  disciplined 
troops  in  the  world,  and  founded  an 
independent  nationality  of  freemen. 
The  canopy  beneath  which  this  sublime 
event  occurred  has  become  immortal  as 
the  Washington  Elm. 

Who  that  is  familiar  with  sacred  his- 
tory can  fail  to  be  reminded  of  the  most 
stirring  scenes  in  the  career  of  God's 
chosen  people,  as  he  contemplates  the 

CEDAR, 

the  tree  which  crowned  Lebanon,  and 
wiis  associated  with  the  highest  and 
most  sacred  art  and  architecture  of 
the  Jews.  Never  was  tree  dedicated 
to  more  illustrious  architecture  than 
when  Solomon  sent  his  four  score 
thotisand  hewers  into  Lebanon  and 
covered  his  Temi)le  "  with  beams  and 
boards  of  cedar."  And  the  great  king 
immortalized  the  tree  when  he  se- 
lected  it  as  the  type  of  one  of  his  no- 


blest conceptions  :  "  His  countenance 
is  as  Lebanon,  excellent  as  the  cedars." 
The  temple  of  Diana,  at  Ephesus, 
which  was  220  years  in  building,  was 
constructed  in  its  frame  and  boarding 
entirely  of  cedar.  It  is  of  this  tree  that 
Madame  de  Genlis  says :  "  The  rose 
will  be  in  all  countries  the  queen  of 
flowers  ;  but  amongst  trees  the  honor 
of  being  king  belongs  only  to  the 
ancient  and  majestic  cedar."  And  so 
high  a  place  has  this  tree  secured  in 
history,  that  "  the  few  cedars  still  re- 
maining on  Mount  Libanus  are  pre- 
served with  a  religious  strictness  ;  and 
on  the  day  of  the  transfiguration  the 
Patriarch  repairs  in  procession  to  them, 
and  celebrates  a  festival  called  the  feast 
of  cedai-s." 

TREES    FOR    INSPIRATION. 

The  intimate  i^elations  which  trees 
bear  to  remarkable  events  and  illus- 
trious persons  in  history  are  almost 
innumerable,  as  you  may  infer  from 
the  few  and  striking  illustrations  to 
which  t  have  called  your  attention. 
But  these  insensible  though  living  com- 
panions of  man  do  not  stop  here.  They 
afford  shelter  and  encouragement  to  his 
loftiest  aspirations,  and  offer  him  pro- 
tection and  sympathy  in  those  hours 
when  his  min<l  is  filled  with  fervor  and 
inspiration.  Evelyn  says  :  "  Innumer- 
able are  the  testimonies  I  might  pro- 
duce concerning  the  inspiring  and 
sacred  influence  of  groves  from  the 
ancient  poets  and  historians.  Here  the 
noblest  rapturfcs  have  been  conceivt^d  ; 
and  in  the  walks  and  shades  of  trees 
poets  liavH  com])Osed  vei^ses  whicli  have 
animated  men  to  glorious  and  heroic 
actions.  Here  oratoi-s  have  made  their 
panegyrics,  historians  their  grave  n^la- 
tions,  and  here  profound  philosophers 
have  loved  to  pass  their  lives  in  repose 
and  contemplation."  Would  you  find 
instances  of  this  in  your  own  day  1 
Attend  Hawthorne,  then,  in  his  wooded 


134 


THE  CANADIAN  HOETICULTURIST. 


walk  at  Concord,  and  learn  the  height 
which  man's  contemplation  may  reach 
amidst  the  whispering  gilence  of  the 
groves ;  join  Thoreau  in  his  forest 
seclusion,  and  know  the  inspiration 
which  belongs  to  those  solemn  arches 
and  to  the  leafy  chapels  which  Nature 
prepares  for  her  worshippers. 

TREES    FOR    PROFIT. 

And  now,  to  him  who,  in  a  spirit  of 
thrift  and  economy  worthy  of  that  peo- 
ple to  whom  as  an  American  he  be- 
longs, would  ask  what  is  all  this  worth  ? 
let  me  say  that  the  judicious  selection 
and  planting  of  trees  may  be  made  one 
of  the  most  protitable  branches  of  agri- 
culture. Not  for  the  beauty  of  the 
town  alone,  but  for  a  thrifty  use  of 
remote  and  deserted  acres  also  may  the 
culture  of  trees  be  made  a  part  of  the 
business  of  life.  A  venerable  clergy- 
man in  Massachusetts,  the  father  of 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  bankers 
in  Boston,  left  at  his  death  a  large  ter- 
ritory of  woodland  in  the  town  which 
was  blessed  with  his  ministry  for  more 
than  fifty  years,  and  the  profits  on  this 
land,  which  he  had  purchased  at  a  very 
low  rate  at  the  beginning  of  his  profes- 
sional service,  and  which  had  been  de- 
voted to  the  growth  of  wood,  prin- 
cipally pine,  were  greater  than  those 
realized  on  lands  purchased  and  sold  at 
the  same  periods  in  the  most  prosper- 
ous parts  of  Boston.  "  We  have  heard 
of  a  gentleman,"  says  the  author  of 
Practical  Economy,  "  wliose  lands  were 
more  extensive  than  fertile,  whose  prac- 
tice was  to  plant  fifteen  hundred  trees, 
on  the  birth  of  every  daughter,  upon 
his  waste  grounds,  which  were  on  an 
average  worth  one  pound  each  on  her 
becoming  of  age,  thus  enabling  him  to 
give  her  a  fortune  of  £1,500  without 
any  extraordinary  economy  on  his 
part,  the  regular  thinning  of  the  trees 
at  proper  seasons,  with  barking,  &c., 
paying  off  all  the  current  expenses,  be- 


sides yielding  him  a  small  rent  for  the 
land."  The  profits  derived  from  the 
growing  of  the  pine,  the  locust,  and 
the  birch,  all  capable  of  flourishing 
greatly  in  light  and  somewhat  worth- 
less lands,  have  been  in  many  instances 
very  remarkable.  Perhaps  I  would 
not  recommend  the  cultivation  of  wood 
and  timber  as  a  universal  branch  of 
agriculture  in  these  days  when  the 
secret  of  the  business  lies  in  quick  re- 
turns and  devotion  to  local  markets  ; 
but  I  can  find  in  the  experience  of 
those  who  have  tried  it  an  encourage- 
ment to  those  who,  by  the  possession 
of  large  tracts  of  waste  lands,  may  be 
compelled  to  follow  their  example  in 
the  business  of  tree-planting;  and  I 
read  with  profound  interest  the  state- 
ment addressed  to  Governor  Foster  by 
an  enterprising  citizen  of  this  State, 
with  regard  to  his  success  in  tree 
planting,  and  the  groves  of  walnuts, 
maples  and  chesnuts  which  he  is  cul- 
tivating with  pleasure  and  profit. 

But  more  than  all  this,  to  the  poetic 
and  practical  alike  I  would  present  the 
advantage  of 

ORNAMENTAL    GARDENING, 

both  in  our  towns  and  around  our 
rural  homes,  and  its  kindly  effect  uj^on 
the  character  of  those  who  are  subject 
to  its  influences.  It  is  an  old  story,  I 
know — this  of  the  refinement  and  in- 
vigoration  which  attend  pursuits  iipon 
the  soil — but  it  is  so  true  and  so  charm- 
ing and,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  so  little 
heeded,  that  it  may,  if  properly  told, 
be  repeated  a  thousand  times,  and  heard 
with  pleasure  and  profit.  The  devotion 
of  mankind  in  all  ages  to  the  land  is  a 
feature  of  social  and  civil  history  which 
can  not  be  lost  sight  of  by  him  who 
would  trace  the  steps  which  man  has 
taken  in  his  progress  and  development. 
"  To  dress  the  garden  and  to  keep  it," 
was  the  first  duty  imposed  on  man 
when   he  entered  upon  his  career  on 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


136 


earth,  and  "to  dress  the  garden  and 
to  keep  it  "  has  been  the  desire  of  every 
man  who,  after  long  wanderings,  has 
learned  the  point  from  whence  all  his 
impulses  sprang.  The  poor  man  seeks 
the  soil ;  the  rich  and  the  powerful  be- 
lieve in  its  refreshing  influences  and 
its  repose.  The  industrious  and  frugal 
mechanics  and  labourers  of  our  country 
all  toil  for  a  home  and  a  spot  which 
they  can  cultivate.  The  merchant  of 
our  day,  like  his  ancestor  in  the  early 
periods  of  our  commercial  history, 
when  every  man  bought  a  farm,  believe 
now  in  the  delights  of  rural  and  subur- 
ban life.  The  law  and  tlie  custom  of 
our  fathers  was  a  land-holding  clergy, 
established  for  life  in  their  ministra- 
tions. From  the  farms  and  plantations 
of  the  colonies  sprang  brave  and  hardy 
and  wise  men,  who  gave  us  our  free- 
dom and  our  nationality. 

I  trust,  therefore,  that  to  this  and  to 
all  other  associations  dedicated  to  the 
work  of  preserving  and  restoring  our 
vast  forest  wealth,  and  of  beautifying 
the  earth  upon  which  we  tread,  the 
people  of  this  continent  will  extend  a 
grateful  heart  and  a  helping  hand. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  urge  upon  this 
Association  the  most  careful  considera- 
tion of  the  topics  before  it — the  use  of 
forests  ;  the  conservation  of  forests ;  the 
influences,  injurious  and  beneficial  of 
forests;  the  educational  means  by  which 
we  may  become  acquainted  with  For- 
estry work.  To  what  extent  can  the 
land-owner  enter  profitably  upon  the 
business  of  tree-planting  and  forest 
culture]  What  legislation  can  the 
States  best  adopt  for  the  increase  and 
preservation  of  their  forests]  How 
shall  the  General  Government  provide 
for  the  planting  of  forests  on  its  public 
lands  ;  *What  is  the  precise  extent  of 
forest  waste  ;  What  is  the  comparative 
value  of  various  timber  trees  ]  How 
shall  we  secure  wind-breaks  on  the 
prairies  ?     By  what  chemical  processes 


can  we  preserve  our  timber  used  in 
building  and  fencing?  What  forest 
trees  are  best  adapted  to  various  locali- 
ties 1 — these  are  questions  which  should 
be  answered  as  definitely  as  possible. 
They  are  questions  which  the  American 
people  are  anxious  to  have  answered, 
and  before  which  all  discussion  of 
foreign  legislation,  all  consideration  of 
the  value  of  wood  products,  all  statistics 
of  trade,  all  study  of  land  tenure,  sink 
into  insignificance.  I  trust  the  deli- 
berations of  this  convention  will  point 
the  way  by  which  these  problems  can 
be  solved,  and  by  which  our  vast  forest 
wealth  can  be  economically  preserved 
and  profitably  used. 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA  FLOWERS 
AND  FRUITS. 

The  habitat  of  our  favorite  flowers  is 
always  a  source  of  interest  to  the  flower- 
lover,  as  well  as  to  the  botanist, — but 
a  climate,  which  will  by  adoption  give 
home  and  nurture  to  the  more  delicate 
forms  of  plant-life,  and  give  results 
nearly,  if  not  quite,  equal  to  the  finest 
conservatory  conditions,  is  one  deserving 
the  attention  of  amateurs.  Below  the 
35th  parallel,  these  results  in  multitudes 
of  instances  are  daily  witnessed.  This  is 
true  of  the  valleys  at  the  foot  of  the 
Santa  Ynez  mountains,  and  the  valleys 
for  twenty  or  thirty  miles  below  sliel- 
tered  by  the  trend  of  the  coast  from  cold 
north  winds  and  the  hot  winds  of  the 
desert  beyond  the  mountains ;  especially 
in  the  belt  of  country  known  as  the 
Santa  Barbara  valley,  a  strip  of  land 
lying  on  the  sea-coast,  protectod  by  the 
outlying  islands  from  ocean  win  Is  and 
storms,  rendering  the  harbor  a  natu rally 
fine  one,  where  steamers  land  at  all 
seasons.  Then,  with  the  protection  on 
the  north  and  west  before  noted,  a  cli- 
matic condition  may  be  found  embracing 
the  needs  of  temperate,  semi-tropical 
and  many  tropical  plants.  The  Steph- 
anotis  will  climb  amicably  beside  the 


136 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTUKI8T. 


fragrant  Honeysuckle.  Tecoma  Jasmi- 
noides  will  intermingle  its  lovely  leaves 
and  flowers,  shielding  in  winter  the  leaf- 
less Wistaria  and  rejoicing  in  the  spring 
over  its  clusters  of  royal  bloom.  Rhus 
Cotinus  will  produce  its  wreaths  of  deli- 
cate fringe  in  the  shadow  of  the  Mag- 
nolia and  Pomegranate.  Fuchsias  will 
lift  their  tall  heads  from  circles  of  Gla- 
diolus and  Tuberoses,  none  feeling  an 
alien  presence  of  a  stinted  growth.  But 
over  all  these  will  reign  a  crowned 
queen — the  Tea  Rose,  and  royally  she 
tills  the  throne.  No  garden  is  complete 
without  a  hundred  varieties  of  Roses, 
and  with  intelligent  culture  nothing 
finer  in  results  can  be  imagined,  and  all 
the  year  aix)und.  April  and  May  are, 
jxirhaps,  the  most  royal  months  of 
bloom,  but  no  season  is  without  Roses, 
andamorninghour  is  required  for  taking 
off  the  old  Roses,  making  room  for  the 
on-coming  bud  and  bloom.  A  circle  of 
these  around  a  Dicksonia  antarctica  in 
carefully  combined  colors,  with  a  border 
of  Diosma  alba,  is  a  thing  of  beauty. 
You  cannot  cure  the  once  possessor  of 
such  a  garden  ;  the  gravitation  toward 
it  is  as  certain  as  the  laws  of  any  other 
gravitation.  And  the  Eastern  florist, 
after  a  winter  among  such  gardens,  will 
pack  many  a  sigh  and  regret  away  in  the 
recessesof  trunksand  portmanteaus,  and 
with  infinite  disgust  will  tight  Jack 
Frost  another  winter,  until  discretion 
becomes  the  better  part  of  valor,  and 
sooner  or  later  the  dream  of  a  sunny 
home  and  a  semi-tropical  garden  be- 
comes a  reality.  A  commingling  of 
fruits  from  all  zones  becomes  also  a 
possibility.  Citrus  fruits  grow  side  by 
side  witli  the  Apple  and  Pear,  Figs 
and  Bananas  with  Plums  and  Peaches. 
Perhaps  nothing  financially  is  of  more 
importance  to  this  valley  than  the  fol- 
lowing list  of  fruits:  Apricot,  Prune, 
English  Walnut,  Raisin  Grape,  Bartlett 
Pears,  Olives,  Egg  Plums  and  Necta- 
rines.    The  Peach  does  well  ordinarily, 


having  off-years,  and  some  varieties  a 
curled  leaf.  These  fruits  are  mostly 
purchased  by  the  cannery  in  large  quan- 
tities, as  also  immense  quantities  of 
Tomatoes.  I  have  seen  Tomato  vines 
seven  years  of  age,  but  young  plants 
produce  better.  Eternal  vigilance  is 
the  price  of  orchards  here,  as  to  in- 
sects, as  elsewhere.  But  with  it  the 
finest  results  are  realized.  Olive  cul- 
ture is  becoming  prominent,  and  in 
another  letter  will  be  described.  Lima 
Beans  have  brought,  with  their  present 
high  prices,  a  bonanza  to  farmers  in  this 
valley,  in  many  cases  realizing  from 
$75  to  $125  per  acre,  this  season  ;  the 
land  is  of  course  very  rich  and  of  many 
descriptions.  Fruits  of  the  leading 
varieties  are  proved,  fi'om  the  cash- 
books  of  producers,  to  vary  from  $200 
to  $500  per  acre,  and  some  instances  of 
Apricots  run  higher,  at  six  and  seven 
yemrs  of  age.  Most  fruits,  deciduous 
ones,  bear  at  three  years  from  planting 
in  considerable  quantities. 

As  a  home,  with  its  thoroughly 
equable  climate,  neither  hot  nor  cold, 
nothing  can  be  more  desirable  than  this 
portion  of  Southern  California. — Mrs. 
N.  W.  Winter,  in  American  Gardener, 

HARDY  RASPBERRIES. 

The  hardiness  of  Raspberries  is  a 
somewhat  mooted  question,  but  so  much 
seems  well  established,  that  the  amount 
of  cold  which  the  canes  can  withstand 
depends  mainly  upon  the  degree  of  ripe- 
ness of  the  wood.  While  a  fully  ripen- 
ed cajie  may  survive  almost  any  possible 
degree  of  cold,  an  immature  one  may  be 
killed  by  a  few  degrees  below  freezing 
point.  Many  varieties  which  we  are  in 
the  habit  of  calling  "  perfectly  hardy" 
were  killed  last  winter  by  the  unusual 
earliness — befoi-e  the  plants  had  rii>en- 
ed  their  wood — not  by  the  intensity  of 
cold.  "Turner,"  "  Brandy  wine,"  and 
even  wild  kinds,  were  killed  down  to 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


137 


within  a  few  inches  of  the  ground,  while 
the  same  degree  of  cold,  if  it  had  occurred 
a  few  weeks  later,  would  not  have  in- 
jured them  in  the  least. — American 
Garden. 


CELERY  CULTURE  AT  KALAMAZOO. 

Celery  culture  is  becoming  a  local 
industry  of  no  small  importance  at 
Kalamazoo,  the  marsh  land  in  the 
vicinity  having  been  found  to  be 
admirably  adapted  to  its  growth.  From 
the  Kalamazoo  Gazette  we  extract  the 
following  account  of  the  mode  of  cul- 
ture as  there  practiced  : 

"  Not  alone  from  the  increased  area 
will  there  be  ajarger  quantity  of  celery 
in  after  years,  but  there  is  being  more 
raised  from  the  same  land  each  year,  as 
the  gardeners  become  proficient  in  rais- 
ing it,  for  it  is  comparatively  a  new  in- 
dustry for  Kalamazoo.  Instead  of  rows 
being  five  and  six  feet  apart,  as  the 
books  advise,  they  are  raising  it  success- 
fully three  feet  apart,  and  instead  of 
five  and  six  inches  apart  in  the  rows,  it 
is  raised  half  that  distance,  and  as  close 
as  one's  fingers  for  the  last  or  winter 
crop,  so  double  the  crop  is  raised  from 
the  same  land. 

"  Gardeners  who  have  read  books  on 
celery  raising  say  Kalamazoo  men  can 
teach  the  authors  their  A.  B.  C's  in 
that  business.  Peter  Henderson,  the 
great  New  York  gardener,  advises  to 
store  it  for  winter  by  packing  in  shallow 
trenches,  covering  with  lumber,  mai-sh 
hay,  etc.  J.  W.  Wilson  estimates  that 
it  would  cost  him  $300  for  lumber 
to  secure  his  crop  in  that  manner. 
The  Kalamazoo  way  is  to  dig  about  two 
feet  below  the  surface;  then  board  up 
about  two  feet  above  ;  then  on  a  frame 
six  feet  high,  12  foot  boards  meet  and 
slant  down  the  sides,  with  windows,  all 
of  which  is  banked  and  covered  with 
manure.  They  are  usually  built  24  feet 
wide,  and  40,  75  or  100  feet  long.     If 


the  building  is  50  feet  long  it  will  hold 
50,000  celery;  100  feet  long,  100,000 
etc.  It  is  built  or^  upland,  if  possible,  for 
marsh  is  too  damp  and  cold.  When 
first  put  in  the  houses  it  is  green,  but 
bleaches  in  a  few  weeks.  They  pack 
as  close  as  it  will  stand,  putting  boards 
every  few  feet  to  prevent  heating  and 
rotting.  People  can  keep  their  own 
celery  as  well  as  apples  or  potatoes,  by 
putting  some  marsh  soil  in  the  bottom 
of  a  barrel,  packing  the  celery,  root 
down,  not  sideways,  and  keeping  where 
it  will  not  freeze.  It  is  desirable  to  keep 
it  growing.  The  sprouts  may  run  over 
the  top  of  the  barrel,  but  will  be  no 
disadvantage.  Put  in  green,  and  it 
will  bleach,  and  you  can  wash,  trim,  as 
you  wish  for  the  table.  One  of  the 
most  annoying  jobs  in  the  business  is 
the  tying  in  half-dozen  bunches.  The 
long-felt  want  is  for  some  Yankee  to 
invent  a  self-binder." 


CURRANTS. 

If  there  is  any  living  thing  that  pos- 
sesses the  Christian  virtue  of  returning 
good  for  evil  in  a  higher  degree  than 
the  Currant-bush,  we  should  like  to 
know  its  name.  Neglected  and  des- 
pised in  an  out-of-the-way  corner,  half- 
smothered  under  a  tumbled-down  gar- 
den-wall, or  on  a  rubbish  heap  where 
nothing  else  could  grow,  a  few  Curmnt- 
bushes  are  frequently  tolerated,  and 
never  thought  of  until  the  scorching 
July  sun  makes  our  system  long  for 
cooling  and  refreshing  fruit  acids.  It 
is  then  that  we  call  to  mind  our  patient 
Currant-bushes,  and  become  eager  to 
gather — without  blushing — their  bright, 
glossy  clusters,  as  interest  for  the  worth- 
less spot  we  have  suffered  them  to  occu- 
py. Perhaps  the  advent  of  the  Cui*- 
rant-worm  is  only  a  blessing  in  disguise, 
sent  to  teach  us  more  charity  and  wis- 
dom, and  to  compel  us  to  give  better 
treatment  to  our  much  misused  bushes. 


138 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


Try  it  for  once  to  give  the  Currants  a 
respectable  place  in  the  garden,  and  cul- 
tivate them  like  any  other  shrub  or 
plant  which  you  expect  to  bear  fruit, 
and  you  will  soon  become  convinced  that 
"  it  pays"  to  give  fair  play  even  to  a 
Currant-bush. — American  Garden. 


A  CHANCE  FOR  BOYS. 

Boys  on  farms  want  spending  money, 
and  are  often  sorely  troubled  to  obtain 
it.  Their  best  chance  appears  to  be  in 
cultivating  some  crop  at  home  that  re- 
quires small  capital  and  a  small 
amount  of  land  for  its  production. 
The  small  fruits  are  excellent  in  these 
respects.  They  can  generally  be  dis- 
posed of  to  greater  advantage  in  coun- 
try villages,  or  even  among  neighboring 
farmers,  than  in  large  cities,  as  there 
is  no  expense  for  packages,  transporta- 
tion, or  for  selling.  The  country  boy 
can  take  his  own  fruit  to  his  custom- 
ers, sell  it  by  measure,  and  pocket  the 
proceeds.  Probably  the  most  profit- 
able fruits  to  raise  are  strawberries 
and  grapes,  although  blackberries  and 
raspberries  sell  well  in  their  season. 
Strawberries  offer  many  advantages 
over  other  small  fruits.  It  costs  little 
to  get  a  start  with  them.  A  hundred 
plants  set  out  in  a  rich  place  after  the 
bearing  season  will  produce  a  thousand 
plants  by  fall.  They  will  produce  a 
good  crop  the  year  after  they  are  trans- 
planted. No  implements  are  required 
for  their  cultivation  except  those  found 
on  every  farm. 

It  takes  but  a  small  patch  of  land  to 
produce  50  quarts  of  strawberries  per 
day  during  the  bearing  season,  and  there 
are  few  places  where  they  will  not 
bring  at  least  six  cents  a  quart.  By 
having  late  and  early  varieties,  the 
strawberry  season  may  be  extended 
several  weeks.  There  are  few  persons 
who  will  deny  themselves  strawberries. 
Grapes    have    some   advantages  over 


strawberries.  They  are  riot  as  perish- 
able, and  may  be  transported  long  dis- 
tances without  injury.  Mature  grape 
vines  are  almost  sure  to  produce  a  crop 
every  year.  There  is  little  trouble  in 
keeping  grapes  till  Thanksgiving  and 
Christmas,  when  there  is  always  a 
demand  for  them  at  good  prices.  With 
grapes  and  strawberries  to  dispose  of, 
any  farmer  boy  can  keep  himself  sup- 
plied with  money  and  have  some  to  lay 
up  for  a  rainy  day. — Fruit-Grower. 


DO  BEES  INJURE  GRAPES  ? 

The  above  question  has  so  often  been 
asked,  and  so  often  been  answered  in 
the  ajfirmative  by  persons  who  never 
took  the  pains  to  ascertain  the  truth  of 
their  assertions,  that  I  now  venture  a 
few  words. 

I  wish  to  relate  a  series  of  experi- 
ments made  at  the  residence  of  one  of 
the  Western  lUinios  Bee  Keepers'  So- 
ciety. 

This  gentleman  was  showing  to  a  friend 
a  bunch  of  grapes  which,  having  been 
purposely  placed  in  one  of  his  hives  of 
bees,  had  been  left  untouched,  though  it 
had    remained     there     several     days. 

"  Well,"  said  the  friend,  "  it  might  be 
that  in  a  hive  they  don't  work  on  the 
grapes  ;  but,  out-doors,  where  they 
generally  get  their  honey,  they  will 
certainly  cut  the  berries  open." 

"  We  can  try,"  said  the  bee  keeper. 

All  his  grapes  were  being  gathered 
that  day,  and  as  bees  were  thick  among 
the  vines  just  then,  everything  was  suit- 
able for  the  experiment.  The  two  friends, 
therefore,  took  all  the  damaged  berries 
from  quite  a  number  of  bunches  in  the 
same  spot  and  left  them  ungathered. 
A  few  hours  after  all  the  crop  of  grapes 
had  been  gathered  except  these  particu- 
lar bunches,  they  again  went  to  the  vine- 
yard and  found  the  grapes  as  they  had 
left  them.  The  bees  were  almost  all  gone. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


130 


"  I  do  not  think  that  only  a  few  like 
this  could  do  much  harm,"  said  the 
friend,  "but  you  can't  make  me  believe 
tliat  if  a  large  number  of  hungry  bees 
had  tried  to  get  the  juice  of  a  bunch  of 
grapes  they  could  not  do  it." 

Just  as  they  were  coming  near  the 
house,  they  noticed  that  a  number  of 
bees,  having  gone  home  a  while  before 
with  a  load  of  grape  juice,  were  greedily 
coming  back  to  the  place  where  barrels 
of  grapes  had  been  left  a  few  minutes, 
before  being  taken  to  the  cellar. 

"  Now,"  said  the  friend,  "  is  our 
chance." 

They  carefully  took  away  everything 
in  which  the  bees  could  find  grape  juice, 
picked  up  all  the  bruised  berries  scat- 
tered here  and  there,  and  left  nothing  to 
eat  for  the  bees  but  one  bunch  of 
perfectly  whole  grapes. 

The  bees  at  once  clustered  upon  it, 
and  so  many  were  there,  that  they  hid 
the  bunch  completely.  The  friend 
looked  at  them  with  a  smile  of  triumph. 
Aft«r  a  while  they  examined  the  bunch 
again  ;  it  was  as  shiny  as  a  freshly- 
blackened  stove.  The  bees  had  rubbed 
oflf  all  the  bloom,  but  not  one  berry 
was  opened. 

The  bee  keeper  then,  with  a  needle, 
made  a  small  puncture  in  one  of  the 
berries,  the  bunch  was  left  in  the  same 
place,  and  when  examined  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  it  was  found  that  the  bees 
had  drank  the  juice  as  far  as  their 
tongues  could  go,  but  they  hcul  not  torn 
the  skin  open  any  further. 

I  could  further  say  that  the  bee 
keepers'  society  of  Bordeaux  (France), 
thinking  that  bee  culture  in  that  local- 
ity might  interfere  with  the  wine  in- 
terests, made  continued  experiments  the 
whole  summer  long,  with  all  possible 
kinds  of  fruit,  with  results  like  the 
above.  I^et  me  add  that  the  juice  of 
grapes  there  is  much  sweeter,  and  conse- 
quently more  tempting  for  bees  tlian  it 


is  here. — American  Wine   and    Grape 
Grower.  

THE  BIDWELL  STRAWBERRY. 

The  Arnerican  Agriculturist  says  : 
"  After  a  careful  inspection  of  the  Bid- 
well  strawberry,  on  various  soils,  and 
in  different  conditions,  we  feel  like  con- 
gratulating those  who  have  received 
the  plants  as  premiums.  The  produc- 
tiveness of  the  plant  is  simply  wonder- 
ful, and  that  is  one  great  point  in  the 
strawberry,  while  it  runs  of  unusually 
uniform  size.  With  our  present  know- 
ledge, if  asked  to  name  a  strawberry 
which  we  would  prefer  to  the  Bidwell 
to  send  out  as  premiums,  we  could  not 
do  it,  as  we  do  not  know  of  any  one 
berry  that  we  can  so  confidently  recom- 
mend for  general  cultivation.  The  lead- 
ing strawberry  of  the  hist  two  years 
has  been  the  "  Sharpless,"  and  an 
admirable  fruit  it  has  proved  to  be.  The 
markets  are  an  excellent  test  of  the 
value  of  a  fruit,  and  the  Sharpless  has 
appeared  in  great  abundance.  As 
compared  to  the  Bidwell,  we  should 
say  that  it  did  not  equal  that  in  pro- 
ductiveness, and  was  not  so  firm  for 
shipping — still  the  Sharpless  will  long 
hold  a  prominent  place  in  the  list  of 
first-class  strawberries."  Purdy^s  Fruit 
Recorder  says :  "  We  obtained  from 
three  different  parties  in  Michigan,  all 
of  whom  had  their  plants  direct  from 
Bidwell,  fifteen  thousand  plants.  Then 
to  make  sure  that  our  plants  were  the 
same  as  Mr.  Roe's,  (who  is  properly 
and  carefully  cautioning  the  public 
against  spurious  plants),  a  friend  order- 
ed from  him  a  few  plants,  which  were 
set  on  our  grounds.  The  three  lots 
from  Micliigan  and  those  from  Mr.  Roe 
have  all  proved  the  same,  so  we  do  not 
question  the  purity  and  genuineness  of 
our  plants,  and  further  the  shape  of  the 
fruit  is  of  that  peculiar  cast  shown  in 
the  drawing  given  by  us,  which  was 
copied  from  the  American  Agriculturist, 


140 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


describing  this  sort  in  an  article  written 
by  Mr.  Roe.  Tlie  fruit  is  of  the 
meaty,  luscious  character  of  the  Sharp- 
less,  but  more  sprightly,  and  for  us 
better,  in  sugar  and  cream ;  and  judging 
from  these  late  spring  set  plants,  the 
large  size  and  uniformity  of  the  berries, 
the  fine  clusters  show  to  us  it  is  a 
variety  of  a  high  order  of  excellence. 
Right  alongside  of  our  plantation  of 
this  sort  we  have  a  bed  of  Sharpless, 
set  two  weeks  earlier,  the  first  spring, 
and  having  a  much  better  start.  Yet 
tlie  show  of  fruit  in  the  Bidwell  is  as 
fine  as  those  on  the  Sharpless. 


THE  PANSY. 

We  wish  all  the  lovers  of  flowers 
among  our  readers  to  understand  that 
no  flower  we  cultivate  in  our  gardens 
is  more  worthy  of  attention  than  the 
Pansy.  The  Pansy  has  long  been  a 
favorite  with  the  florists  of  England, 
but  the  English  varieties,  though  very 
large  and  perfect  flowers,  are  of  a  loose, 
straggling  habit  of  growth,  and  under 
ordinary  culture  seem  unsuited  to  our 
warm  and  dry  seasons.  The  Germans 
have  produced  varieties  much  better 
suited  to  our  wants.  The  flowers  give  a 
great  variety  of  colors,  mottled,  striped, 
crimson,  and  other  colors,  bordered  with 
white,  looking  so  nearly  like  the  fancy 
geraniums  that  a  single  flower  would  be 
taken  for  a  pelargonium,  sky-blue,  and 
almost  black.  The  plants  have  a  very 
compact  habit,  and  flower  very  freely, 
from  fifty  to  a  hundred  blossoms  being 
often  seen  on  a  single  plant  at  one  time. 
The  flowers  are  borne  on  a  short,  strong 
stem,  and  stand  erect,  above  the  leaves, 
producing  a  most  charming  effect. 

The  German  varieties  are  very  hardy, 
and  if  seed  be  sown  in  a  hot-bed  or 
cold  frame  in  April,  or  even  in  the  open 
ground  in  May,  a  good  show  of  flowers 
will  be  had  during  the  latter  part  of 
summer  and  until  they  are  covered  with 


snow.  They  are  the  first  flowers  seen 
in  the  spring,  and  even  a  mild  spell  in 
mid-winter  is  improved  to  produce  a 
few  blossoms.  From  early  spring  until 
the  middle  of  June  every  plant  is  almost 
a  bouquet  of  flowers.  If  the  weather  is 
dry  and  hot  after  this  time,  and  the  bed 
exposed,  the  flowers  after  this  will 
be  small  until  the  cool  nights,  and  dews, 
and  rains  of  autumn.  From  this,  until 
heavy  frost  and  snow,  the  pansy  bed 
will  not  be  surpassed  by  any  in  the 


Late  in  the  spring  an  examination  of 
the  bed  will  show  many  young  plants 
produced  from  the  fallen  seeds  of  the 
past  summer.  These  can  be  trans- 
planted to  a  new  bed,  and  if  they  pro- 
duce superior  flowers  this  course  may  be 
continued ;  but  if  the  flowers  exhibit 
deterioration  in  size,  form  or  coloring, 
obtain  fresh  imported  seed,  and  start  a 
new  bed.  We  cultivate  flowers  for 
the  pleasure  they  afford  us,  and  there 
can  be  no  pleasui*^  to  any  person  of  taste 
or  intelligence  in  half  doing  any  work, 
or  in  producing  inferior  flowers.  All 
will  therefore  like  to  learn  how  to  grow 
the  pansy  well.  Select  a  place  for  the 
bed,  if  possible,  where  the  soil  is  cool 
and  shaded  a  little  from  the  noon-day 
sun, — the  north  side  of  a  fence,  or  build- 
ing, or  where  trees  will  afford  a  shade, 
at  noon,  though  not  too  much,  or  the 
plants  will  become  "drawn,"  that  is 
long,  slender,  and  weak.  Give  a 
heavy  dressing  of  cow  manure  and  dig 
the  soil  very  deep — eighteen  inches  at 
least. 

Make  it  fine  and  mellow,  and  do  this 
work  in  a  dry  time,  when  the  soil  can  be 
well  pulverized.  When  prepared,  set 
out  the  plants,  and  water  until  they  are 
established.  In  such  a  bed  you  will 
have  abundance  of  flowers  during  the 
whole  season,  though  in  very  dry 
weather  it  is  best  to  give  a  good  water- 
ing— a  thorough  soaking — occasionally. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


141 


THE  CARDINAL  FLOWER. 

f  Lobelia  cardiTuiiisJ 

This  beautiful  native  we  find  adver- 
tised in  some  seed  catalogues,  among 
the  novelties  of  the  season.  This  is  a 
move  in  the  right  direction,  and  this 
brilliant  and  gorgeous  flower  which  has 
been  growing  wild  in  our  meadows  and 
along  our  brooks  ever  since  man  first 
set  foot  on  our  soil,  and  no  one  knows 
^how  many  millions  of  years  before,  is 
probably  a  novelty  to  many  who  have 
lived  a  life-time  within  a  short  walk  of 
its  native  habitat.  We  search  the 
wide  world  over  for  "  novelties,"  while 
here  they  are  growing  around  us  in 
splendor  and  brilliancy.  Nothing  more 
dazzlingly  beautiful  can  be  imagined 
than  a  bed  of  Cardinal  Flowers  in  au- 
tumn, when  in  full  bloom,  grouped  in 
a  shady  spot  on  a  smooth,  velvety  lawn 
with  a  group  of  Cannas  or  Rhododen- 
dron as  a  back-ground. 


THE  CARNATION  AND  PICOTEE. 

PROPAGATION    BY    LAYERS. 

The  proper  season  for  layering  is 
June  or  July.  When  the  time  arrives 
for  performing  the  opei-ation,  procure  a 
quantity  of  small  hooked  pegs ;  then 
take  a  trowel  and  remove  the  earth  to 
the  depth  of  an  inch  or  so  directly  un- 
der the  shoot  to  be  layered.  Take  the 
shoot  in  one  hand,  and  with  the  finger 
and  thumb  of  the  other  hand  remove 
the  leaves  from  the  body  of  the  shoot, 
and  shoi*ten  those  at  the  top  an  inch 
or  so.  With  a  thin,  sharp  knife,  cut 
through  the  strongest  joint  on  the 
body  of  the  shoot,  cutting  upward  until 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  next 
joint,  and  if  the  joints  are  close  it  may 
be  necessary  to  cut  through  more  than 
one.  The  slit  may  be  from  one  to  two 
inches  in  length.  Then  press  the  cen- 
tre of  the  shoot  down  to  the  earth,  be- 
ing at  the  same  time  careful  to  keep 
the  slit  open  and  the  top  in  an  upright 
position;   take   one   of  the   pegs   and 


secure  it  in  this  situation.  A  little 
clean  sand  placed  around  the  cuf'will 
aid  in  the  formation  of  roots.  In  Sep- 
tember or  October  the  shoots  thus  lay- 
ered will  be  rooted  sufficiently  to  sepa- 
rate from  the  parent  plant,  when  they 
may  be  cut  away  and  removed  to  win- 
ter quarters. 

PROPAGATION    BY    PIPINGS. 

This  is  a  simple  operation,  yet  re- 
quiring great  care  and  attention  to  in- 
sure success.  Prepare  a  small  bed  in 
some  partially  shaded  part  of  the  gar- 
den, composed  of  the  same  materials  as 
that  recommended  for  the  seed  bed, 
but  with  a  larger  portion  of  sand.  Se- 
lect the  strongest  short-jointed  shoots, 
and  cut  them  oflf  immediately  below 
the  second  or  third  joint  from  the  to[> 
of  the  shoot. 

As  fast  as  prepared  in  this  manner, 
place  them  in  a  pan  of  rain  water  to 
prevent  flagging.  Plant  these  shoots, 
or  pipings,  as  they  are  called,  as  soon 
as  a  sufficient  quantity  is  prepared  in 
the  bed,  an  inch  and  a  half  asunder ; 
water  slightly  through  a  fine  rose,  and 
after  the  leaves  are  thoroughly  dry, 
cover  with  a  hand  glass  and  shade  from 
the  mid-day  sun.  Pipings  may  be  pre- 
pared in  July  or  August,  and  if  closely 
covered  with  a  hand  or  bell  glass,  and 
shaded  from  the  sun,  will  scarcely  re- 
quire any  water  until  rooted.  If  they 
should  need  water,  it  will  be  found,  in 
most  cases,  sufficient  to  pour  a  little  on 
the  outside  of  the  glass.  This  will 
moisten  the  earth  inside,  and  prevent 
the  cuttings  or  pipings  from  drying. 

POT   CULTURE   FOR    EARLY     FLOWEttlNG. 

In  September  or  October,  provide  a 
sufficient  number  of  pots,  six  or  eight 
inches  in  diameter  at  the  top.  Make 
a  compost  of  two  parts  turfy  loam,  one 
pai-t  of  thoroughly  rotten  hot-bed 
manure,  and  one  part  of  clean  lake  or 
river  sand  ;  place  on  the  bottom  of  the 
pots  a  layer  of  broken  crocks,  and  on 


142 


THE  CANADIAN   H0RTI0IJLTUEI8T. 


this  place  a  small  quantity  of  the  pre- 
pared compost.  Take  the  plant  in  one 
hand  by  gathering  the  leaves  together 
so  that  the  roots  may  be  all  clear ;  hold 
the  plant  in  the  pot  in  such  a  way  that 
the  roots  may  lie  lightly  on  the  mould  ; 
then  with  a  trowel  in  the  other  hand 
eommence  filling  up  the  pot  with  the 
compost  all  around  the  roots  of  the 
plant.  When  this  is  accomplished, 
release  your  hold  of  the  plant  and  take 
the  pot  in  both  hands,  holding  on  by 
tho  rim,  and  give  it  a  few  sharp  raps 
on  some  solid  substance.  This  will 
settle  the  earth  better  than  by  pressing 
it  with  the  hand.  Give  a  slight  water- 
ing from  a  water  can  with  a  fine  rose, 
and  the  operation  of  potting  is  com- 
plete. In  November  place  a  hot-bed 
frame  in  a  sunny  and  sheltered  situa- 
tion, and  place  on  the  inside  of  this  six 
or  eight  inches  of  tan  bark;  plunge 
the  pots  in  this  up  to  the  rims,  put  on 
the  glasses,  water  moderately,  and 
during  mild  weather  give  plenty  of  air. 
In  very  severe  weather  cover  the  frame 
with  straw  or  mats  to  protect  the  plants 
from  frosts,  but  in  mild  weather  the 
covering  must  be  removed,  otherwise 
the  plants  will  become  weak.  In  spring 
the  plants  may  be  removed  to  the 
garden  or  other  suitable  quarters. 

THE    PINK 

is  hardier  than  either  the  Carnation 
or  Picotee,  and  will  thrive  in  any 
good  garden  soil  with  even  ordi- 
nary care,  but  to  grow  and  flower 
it  in  perfection,  beds  similar  in  form  to 
those  recommended  for  the  Carnation 
must  be  prepared  for  them.  The  com- 
ponent parts  of  these  beds  should  be 
three-quarters  good  loamy  turf  and  one- 
quarter  two  years  old  well  rotted  cow 
dung.  These  materials  must  be  trench- 
ed to  the  depth  of  eighteen  inches  or 
two  feet  deep,  well  mixed,  and  the 
surface  raked  smooth.  Introduce  the 
plants  to  the  beds  thus  prepared,  in 


September,  and  plant  them  in  the  same 
manner  as  Carnations.  In  the  following 
spring  the  plants  will  begin  to  show 
their  flower  stems.  The  largest  and 
strongest  of  the  plants  will  throw  up 
numerous  stems ;  these  should  be  nearly 
all  cut  away  at  least  a  month  before 
their  time  of  bloom,  leaving  only  the 
strongest  stems,  and  removing  from 
them  the  weakest  buds.  No  plant, 
however  strong,  should  be  permitted  to 
mature  more  than  ten  or  twelve  good 
full  flowers. 


TREE  PLANTING. 

The  following  extracts  from  an  appeal 
to  the  people  of  Manitoba  by  Mr.  H. 
P.  Bonney,  now  of  Hamilton,  Ont.,  are 
well  worthy  of  attention  by  the  farmers 
of  Ontario.  We  are  fast  making  our 
country  a  treeless  prairie,  and  already 
need  to  take  up  the  subject  of  tree-plan- 
ting in  good  earnest : 

It  is  now  over  two  years  since  I  first 
devoted  my  attention  to  the  subject  of 
tree  planting,  and  the  more  I  learn  of  it 
the  more  I  become  convinced  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  some  means  being  taken  to  get 
our  farmers  to  take  a  like  interest  in 
arboriculture,  and  I  am  sure  that  as 
soon  as  we  all  lay  the  matter  to  heart  it 
will  not  be  long  before  quite  a  change 
for  the  better  in  the  appearance  and 
climate  of  our  country  will  take  place, 
and  our  prairies  will  be  more  beautiful 
both  to  the  eye  and  feelings  than  they 
are  at  present.  Our  timber,  in  fact  all 
the  timber  of  the  North  American  con- 
tinent, is  rapidly  being  used  up.  It  is 
not  400  years  yet  since  Columbus  first 
landed  at  San  Salvador ;  yet  in  that 
comparatively  short  space  of  time  the 
forests  of  America  have  dwindled  down 
to  one-fourth  their  original  size,  and  as 
our  population  increases  the  consump- 
tion becomes  more  rapid,  and  unless  we 
set  to  work  energetically,  and  at  once, 
to  plant  trees,  it  will  not  be  many  years 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


143 


before  our  forests  will  be  things  of  the 
past,  and  how  shall  we  manage  then  ? 
We  want  shelter  from  such  storms  as 
the  one  that  caused  such  loss  of  life  in 
the  Northwestern  States  in  January, 
1873.  (Remember  that  storm  passed 
over  Manitoba,  too).  We  want  to  see 
our  grain  stand  up  instead  of  lying 
down,  as  it  only  too  often  does  now-a- 
days.  We  want  to  get  rid  of  our  hail 
storms  and  check  the  progress  of  the 
insatiable  "hopper,"  and  tree  planting 
is  the  only  remedy  for  all  these  evils. 
To  surround  ourselves  with  trees  will 
make  us  happier,  richer  and  better — 
for  man  generally  feels  a  better  man 
when  living  in  the  midst  of  beauty  than 
he  does  when  living  in  a  dull,  monoto- 
nous plain. 

BOOK  NOTICES. 

The  Agricultural  Review  and  Journal 
of  the  American  Agricultural  Associa- 
tion for  May,  contains  an  exhaustive 
article  on  the  Cattle  Industries  of  the 
United  States,  by  Hon.  J.  B.  Grinnell 
of  Iowa,  giving  a  complete  history  of 
cattle  breeding,  the  development  of  the 
industry,  and  a  detailed  description  of 
cattle  raising  on  the  Plains  in  theWest- 
em  States  and  Territories  ;  showing  the 
lands  best  adapted  to  the  business,  and 
describing  the  methods  of  herdsmen 
owning  from  500  to  20,000  head  each. 

The  number  also  contains  articles  by 
Hon.  Cassius  M.  Clay,  Dr.  Peter  Col- 
lier, Prof.  J.  P.  Stelle,  Hon.  T.  Bowick 
of  England,  Col.  Robert  W.  Scott  of 
Kentucky,  Dr.  E.  Lewis  Sturtevant, 
and  other  practical  and  scientific  writers. 

The  January  number  and  Supple- 
ment contained  the  proceedings  in  full 
of  the  Great  National  Agi-icultural  con- 
vention recently  held  in  New  York, 
including  addresses  and  papers  by  Hon. 
J.  F.  Kinney,  Francis  D.  Moulton,  Dr. 
John  A.  Warder,  Rear-Admiral  Am- 
men,  Gen.  H.  E.  Tremain,  Hon.  N.  T. 


Sprague,  X.  A.  Willard,  Seth  Greene, 
and  other  leading  writers  and  speakers. 

The  thii-teen  papers  on  Ensilage, 
giving  full  directions  for  growing  the 
crop,  building  silos,  and  preserving  the 
fodder,  by  the  ablest  practical  experi- 
menters in  the  United  States,  com- 
prising the  fullest,  most  reliable  and 
most  valuable  information  on  this 
subject  yet  published. 

The  Agricultural  Review  is  published 
quarterly  with  supplements,  and  is 
pronounced  by  the  highest  authorities 
the  most  valuable  publication  of  its 
class  issued. 

Terms. — $3.00  per  year.  Edited  and 
Published  by  Jos.  H  Reall,  Secretary 
of  the  American  Agiicultural  Associa- 
tion, 26  University  Place,  New  York. 

The  American  Exposition  of  Products 
and  Manufactures,  being  inaugurated 
by  the  Association,  gives  unmeasurable 
value  to  the  Agricultural  Review. 

The  American  Encyclopedia  of 
Agriculture. 

This  work,  as  the  name  indicates, 
is,  in  point  of  fact,  an  Encyclopaedia  of 
Agricultural  Knowledge.  It  is  a  truth- 
ful record  of  agricultural  progress,  and 
not  of  methods  that  have  gone  out  of 
date.  It  is  a  handsomely  bound  volume 
of  1,100  pages,  of  which  38  pages  are 
devoted  exclusively  to  the  household 
department.  The  important  subjects 
of  economic  entomology,  forestry,  agri- 
cultural geology,  the  grasses,  farm  laws, 
manures,,  ornithology,  horticulture  and 
veterinary  science,  and  in  fact  all  other 
subjects  of  special  interest  in  a  volume 
of  this  kind,  are  concisely  considered. 
A  needed  work  has  been  supplied,  and 
it  is  one  every  progressive  farmer  should 
have  in  his  library.  It  is  a  library  of 
itself.  Edited  by  the  Hon.  Jonathan 
Periam,  and  published  by  Rand,  Mo- 
Nally  k  Co.,  Chicago. 


144 


THE   CA.NADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


WITHERED  FLOWERS. 

Twas  on  a  bitter  winter's  day, 

I  saw  a  strange,  pathetic  sight ; 
The  streets  were  gloomy,  cold,  and  gray. 

The  air  with  falling  snow  was  white. 

A  little  ragged  beggar  child 

Went  running  through  the  cold  and  storm  ; 
He  looked  as  if  ho  never  smiled, 

As  if  he  never  had  been  warm. 

Sudden,  he  spied  beneath  his  feet 

A  faded  button-hole  bouquet ; 
Trampled  and  wet  with  rain  and  sleet, 

Withered  and  worthless,  there  it  lay. 

He  bounded,  seized  it  with  delight, 
Stood  still  and  shook  it  free  from  snow, 

Into  his  coat  he  pinned  it  tight, — 
His  eyes  lit  uj)  with  sudden  glow. 

He  sauntered  on,  all  pleased  and  proud, 
His  face  transformed  in  every  line ; 

And  lingered  that  the  hurrying  crowd 
Might  chance  to  see  that  he  was  fine. 

The  man  who  threw  the  flowers  away 
Never  one-half  such  pletisure  had  ; 

The  flowers'  best  work  was  done  that  day 
In  cheering  up  that  beggar  lad. 

Ah,  me  1  too  often  we  forget, 
Happy  in  these  good  homes  of  ours, 

How  many  in  this  world  are  yet 
Glad  even  of  the  withered  flowers  1 

St.  Nicholas. 


The  Sharpless  Strawberry. — I  will 
give  my  experience.  Have  only  raised  one 
crop  of  berries,  the  plants  being  set  a  year 
ago  last  spring.  They  were  extra  strong, 
vigorous  plants,  were  set  in  common  clay 
garden  soil.  The  berries  were  the  largest 
I  ever  saw.  They  astonished  every  one 
that  saw  them.  I  weighed  several  that 
weighed  an  ounce  each.  Their  shape  is 
irregular,  but  their  flavor  is  delicious,  as 
all  will  testify  who  tasted  them.  'They 
stand  up  well  from  the  ground  as 
any  berry  possibly  could,  as  heavily  load- 
ed with  fruit  as  my  plants  were.  I  filled 
a  pint  cup  rounding  full,  one  day,  from 
some  I  had  been  picking,  to  let  my  neigh- 
bours, who  were  present,  see  how  many 
berries  it  would  take  to  do  it  ;  poured 
them  out  and  counted  them.  There  were 
thirteen  berries.  I  may  say  with  truth, 
there  were  no  small  berries  on  the  vines, 
the  smallest  beingl  about  like  a  medium 
sized  Wilson's  Albany  Seedling.  I  have 
had  considerable  experience  in  the  culture 
of  strawberries,  but  never  saw  anything 
to  equal  the  Sharpless. — Mrs.  J.  McRae, 
in  Frairie  Farmer. 


MOUNTAIN  MAHOGANY. 

A  remarkable  wood,  known  as 
"  mountain  mahogany,"  is  said  to  grow 
in  Nevada.  A  local  paper  thus  describes 
it :  "  The  trees  do  not  grow  large.  A 
free  with  a  trunk  a  foot  in  diameter  is 
much  above  the  average.  When  dry 
the  wood  is  about  as  hard  as  box-wood, 
and  being  of  very  fine  grain  might,  no 
doubt,  be  used  for  the  same  purposes. 
It  is  of  a  rich  red  color  and  very  heavy. 
When  well  seasoned  it  would  be  a  fine 
material  for  the  wood-carver.  In  the 
early  days  it  was  used  for  making  boxes 
for  shafting,  and  in  a  few  instances  for 
shoes  and  dies  in  a  quartz  battery. 
Used  as  a  fuel  it  creates  an  intense 
heat.  It  burns  with  a  blaze  as  long  as 
ordinary  wood  w^ould  last,  and  is  then 
found  (almost  unchanged  in  form)  con- 
verted to  a  charcoal  that  lasts  about 
twice  as  long  as  ordinary  wood.  For 
fuel  it  sells  much  higher  than  any  kind 
of  wood;  indeed  a  cord  of  it  always 
brings  the  same  price  as  a  ton  of  coal. 
The  only  objection  to  it  is  that  it  creates 
such  an  intense  heat  as  to  burn  out 
stoves  more  rapidly  than  any  kind 
of  coal,  however  bad." — Journal  of 
Science. 


JAMES  YICK. 

As  we  go  to  press  the  telegraph 
brings  the  sad  intelligence  that  James 
Vick,  the  well  known  and  everywhere 
esteemed  horticulturist,  is  dead.  Ameri- 
can horticulture  has  lost  a  most  de- 
voted and  enthusiastic  promoter;  and 
every  lover  of  flowers  in  all  this  broad 
continent  will  feel  that  a  much-honored 
friend  and  counsellor  has  fallen. 


PRINTED  AT  THE  STEAM  PRESS  ESTABUSHMENT  OF  COPP,  CLARK  k  00.,  COLBORNE  BTRKET,  TORONTO. 


THE  TimiMPH  OF  CUMBERLAND  CHERTOT 


FINE 


-ikirii 


ORIGINATED    IN    CUMBERLAND   CO.  PA 


t^04^- 


DELICIOUS    FLAVOR,A  PROLIFIC   BEARER,  AN  D    RAN  KS    WITH  THE  BEST 
'"PRINTED    FOR    THE    CANADIAN     HORTICULTURIST." 


THE 


VOL.  v.] 


JULY,  1882. 


[No.  7. 


CHER 

In  our  climate  the  Duke  and  Morello 
varieties  of  cherries  are  the  most  valu- 
able, and  although  these  are  for  the 
most  part  more  acid  than  the  more 
tender  Heart  and  Biggareau  chemes, 
jet  when  we  consider  their  superior 
culinaiy  qualities  they  soem  on  the 
whole  to  be  the  best,  as  well  as  the 
most  hardy.  Many  years  ago  the 
Kentish  cherry  was  very  largely  planted 
in  the  Old  Niagara  District,  and  rows 
of  them  formed  the  boundary  of  the 
apple  orchard,  or  a  lane  from  the  high- 
way to  the  house.  These  have  grown 
old  and  decayed,  and  mostly  disap- 
peared, without  having  their  places 
supplied  by  more  recent  planting. 
Hence  the  supply  of  cherries,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  population,  is  much  less 
than  it  was  five  and  twenty  years  ago  ; 
and  we  presume  this  is,  in  the  main, 
true  of  the  whole  of  the  Province  of 
Ontario.  Taking  all  things  into  con- 
sideration, we  esteem  this  old  Kentish 
cherry  the  most  valuable  variety  that 
is  grown  in  Canada.  It  is  the  most 
hardy  of  all,  capable  of  enduring  a  very 
severe  degree  of  cold,  and  of  accommo- 
dating itself  to  a  great  variety  of  soils. 
It  is  an  exceedingly  abundant  cropper, 


RIES. 

coming  into  bearing  early  and  continu- 
ing to  bear  to  extreme  old  age.  When 
about  half  ripe,  that  is  when  the  fruit 
is  of  a  bright  red,  it  may  be  used  for 
pies,  tarts,  and  all  cooking  purposes ; 
and  when  fully  ripe,  at  which  time  it 
will  be  of  a  dark  mahogany  color,  it  is 
a  very  agreeable  dessert  fruit.  If  any 
cherry  tree  can  be  planted  with  profit 
for  market  purposes,  this  variety  will 
yield  the  most  sure  returns  of  any  that 
have  yet  been  fully  tested. 

New  varieties  have  been  brought  to 
our  notice  within  a  few  years.  Pro- 
minent among  them  is  one  raised  by 
James  Dougall,  of  Windsor,  Ontario, 
which  he  has  found  to  be  one  of  the 
most  hardy  sorts  in  his  collection.  It 
is  to  be  hoped  that  it  will  soon  be 
widely  disseminated  over  the  Province, 
and  its  ability  to  endure  the  cold  fully 
tested. 

The  Leib  is  also  a  promising  variety, 
of  larger  size  than  Early  Richmond, 
less  acid,  and  of  better  quality.  It 
gives  promise  of  being  very  hardy. 

Trial  is  being  made  of  some  of 
Weir*8  new  cherries,  in  the  hope  that 
some  of  them  wUl  be  found  to  be  well 


146 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTTJEiaT. 


adapted  to  our  climate.  Of  these  his 
Flagg,  Galusha,  and  North-west  seem 
to  give  promise  of  being  extremely 
hardy,  excellent  in  quality,  and  enor- 
mously productive. 

The  colored  plate  which  is  given  in 
this  number  is  a  representation  of  a 
new  variety  lately  introduced  under 
the  name  of  "  Cumberland."  It  origi- 
nated in  Pennsylvania,  and  is  highly 
commended  by  prominent  horticultur- 
ists in  that  State. 


AMERICAN  FORESTRY. 

It  is  both  interesting  and  gratifying 
to  see  that  there  are  representative 
men,  occupying  positions  of  influence 
and  power,  who  are  alive  to  the  im- 
portance of  preserving,  and  in  some 
places  of  restoring,  the  wood-lands  of 
America.  It  is  so  natural  and  easy  for 
men  to  become  absorbed  in  the  study 
of  what  seem  to  them,  and  are,  great 
questions  of  state  policy,  questions 
affecting  the  great  interests  of  com- 
merce, manufactures  and  national  pros- 
perity which  have  engaged  the  attention 
of  statesmen  in  all  civilized  countries, 
and  will  necessarily  engage  it  to  the 
end  of  time,  that  when  an  effort  is 
made  to  interest  them  in  a  subject  such 
as  this  of  forestry,  they  are  slow  to  be 
convinced  that  it  is  a  matter  that  should 
engage  their  attention,  and  are  disposed 
to  look  upon  those  who  have  studied 
the  subject  as  enthusiasts.  But  men 
who  can  take  broad  views  of  national 
interests  soon  find  that  this  is  a  subject 
which  touches  the  national  prosperity 
at  many  points.  That  it  has  most  vital 
connections  with  commerce,  with  manu- 
factures, with  the  supplies  of  food,  with 
the  health  and  the  life  of  a  people. 
Among  such  men  stands  prominently 
the  Hon.  Mark  H.  Bunnell,  of  Minne- 
sota, whose  speech   in  the   House  of 


Representatives  of  the  United  States  is 
replete  with  earnest  words,  most  valu- 
able information,  and  an  evident  appre- 
ciation of  the  importance  of  the  subject. 
From  his  speech  we  learn  that  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1874,  a  committee  of  the  Ameri- 
can Association  for  the  advancement  of 
science  brought  a  memorial  from  that 
body  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  urging  the  duty  of  Government 
concerning  the  cultivation  and  the  pre- 
servation of  forests,  and  recommending 
that  a  commission  should  be  ordered  to 
mature  plans  calculated  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  subj  ect.  The  Presi- 
dent laid  this  memorial  before  Congress, 
which  resulted,  in  1876,  in  the  appoint- 
ment of  Dr.  Franklin  B.  Hough,  of 
Lowville,  New  York,  to  the  duty  of 
ascertaining  the  annual  amount  of  con- 
sumption, importation  and  exportation 
of  forest  products,  the  probable  supply 
for  future  wants,  and  the  best  means 
for  the  preservation  and  renewal  of 
forests;  the  influence  of  forests  upon 
climate,  and  the  measures  applicable  in 
this  country  for  the  planting  of  forests. 

In  pursuance  of  this  appointment. 
Dr.  Hough  made  two  reports  to  Con- 
gress, one  in  1877,  the  other  in  1878-9. 
Of  the  first  of  these  an  officer  of  the 
Wurtemberg  forest  service  says  :  "It 
awakens  our  surprise  that  a  man,  not 
a  specialist,  should  have  so  mastered 
the  whole  body  of  American  and  Euro- 
pean forestry  literature  and  legislation." 

From  this  speech  we  also  learn  that 
the  quantity  of  pine  lumber  produced 
in  the  State  of  Maine  has  steadily 
declined  from  an  average  of  100,000,000 
of  feet  per  annum  in  1851  to  1855  to 
an  average  of  11,800,000  per  annum  in 
1876  to  1881 ;  that  the  timber  supply 
of  the  upper  peninsula  of  Michigan,  at 
the  rate  of  production  in  1879,  will 
last  eighteen  years;  that  of  the  lower 
peninsula  will  last  seven  years ;  that  of 
the  State  of  Wisconsin  scarce  tweniy 


THE   CANADIAN   H0ETICULTUEI8T. 


147 


years ;  and  that  of  Minnesota  about 
eleven  years ;  and  that  at  the  rates  of 
present  consumption  in  th©  North-west, 
the  whole  supply  of  the  timber  of  the 
United  States  would  last  about  seven- 
teen years.  Hence  he  concludes  that 
it  is  the  duty  of  Government  to  inquire 
how  far  it  can  withdraw  remaining  tim- 
ber lands  from  market  and  place  them 
under  regulations  that  shall  secure  the 
greatest  present  benefit  from  the  use  of 
timber  now  fully  mature,  having  regard 
to  the  requirements  of  the  future,  and 
to  ascertain  how  to  impress  upon  private 
owners  the  importance  of  planting,  and 
how  far  and  in  what  manner  it  may 
encourage  this  object.  To  this  end  he 
advises  the  establishment  of  experi- 
mental stations  for  the  careful  study  of 
the  requirements  and  capabilities  of 
soils,  and  of  the  several  kinds  of  trees, 
and  publish  the  results  in  a  form  par- 
ticularly calculated  to  impress  their 
importance,  and  to  teach  the  simplest 
rules  for  securing  success.  He  con- 
cludes his  very  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive speech  by  saying : 

"  We  are  using  up  the  capital  which 
nature  had  for  centuries  been  providing 
for  us  in  the  growth  of  forests,  and  we 
are  doing  nothing  to  restore  them. 
Under  skillful  management  the  supply 
might  be  so  arranged  that  in  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  years  for  some  kinds,  and 
in  fifty  or  sixty  years  for  others,  a  new 
crop  would  be  furnished  by  growth ; 
and  if  only  a  twenty-fifth  or  thirtieth 
part  of  the  former,  or  a  fiftieth  or  six- 
tieth part  of  the  latter,  were  taken 
yearly,  the  supply  would  be  perpetual. 
But,  instead  of  this,  we  are  taking  a 
tenth  or  a  twentieth  part  every  year, 
while  the  growth  from  our  neglect  is 
not  a  fourth  part  of  what  it  should  be 
where  any  growth  is  allowed. 

"  We  shall  only  too  soon  be  reminded 
of  the  consequences  of  this  improvidence 
in  the  growing  pricea  of  lumber,  which 


in  some  kinds  have  already  doubled' 
within  a  very  few  yeare,  and  which  are 
advancing  every  day.  These  advances 
may  be  ascribed  by  some  to  speculation, 
and  doubtless  to  some  extent  they  are, 
for  the  speculator  never  loses  a  chance 
to  turn  a  penny  in  his  own  favor,  it 
matters  not  who  suffers;  but  when 
these  advances  are  steadily  going  oni 
from  month  to  month,  and  year  to  year, . 
at  an  accelerating  rate,  it  means  that 
the  intrinsic  value  of  the  commodity 
they  represent  is  becoming  greater 
under  the  combined  effects  of  diminish- 
ing supply  and  increasing  demand.  It 
will  inevitably  lead  to  the  realizing 
conviction  that  there  is  profit  in  grow- 
ing timber,  and  the  sooner  this  is  under- 
stood and  acted  upon  the  better  will  it 
be  for  the  country  and  for  the  future." 

The  large  gathering  of  influential  and 
representative  men  which  recently  took 
place  in  Cincinnati,  embracing  not  only 
scientists,  whose  special  studies  have 
led  them  to  understand  the  importance 
of  this  subject,  but  also  members  of 
state  and  national  legislatures,  leading 
agricultuiists,  and  the  chief  of  the 
National  Agricultural  Bureau,  this 
gathering  is  a  cheering  evidence  that 
our  neighbors  across  the  border  are 
becoming  aroused  to  the  importance  of 
this  subject,  and  that  steps  will  be 
taken  to  prevent  the  needless  destruc- 
tion of  their  forests,  and  to  secure  the 
planting  of  woodlands  as  a  branch  of 
economic  industry. 

It  is  also  very  gratifying  to  us  as 
Canadians  to  know  that  the  Honorable 
the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture  for 
Ontario  is  fully  alive  to  the  great  im- 
portance of  this  matter  to  us,  and  that 
he  is  using  every  means  at  his  command 
to  procure  and  diffuse  information  on 
this  subject,  and  to  encourage  the  plant- 
ing of  forest  trees  for  timber,  shelter 
and  fuel,  wherever  it  can  be  done  with 
advantage. 


us 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


Doubtless  our  own  forests  are  dis- 
appearing as  rapidly  as  those  of  our 
neighbors  under  the  united  ravages  of 
the  woodman's  axe  and  the  devastating 
forest  fires.  Already  some  parts  of 
Ontario  are  beginning  to  suffer  for  want 
of  a  due  proportion  of  woodland  in  the 
diminishing  volume  of  her  springs  and 
streams  in  protracted  summer  drouths, 
and  in  the  unbroken  sweep  of  frost- 
laden  winter  winds.  It  is  time,  full 
time,  that  public  attention  be  turned 
to  this  matter ;  that  something  be  done 
to  limit  the  annual  cutting  of  lumber, 
so  that  it  shall  bear  a  proper  relation 
to  our  present  supply  and  present  needs; 
that  measures  be  taken  to  prevent  whole- 
sale destruction  by  forest  fires,  and  that 
planting  be  commenced  without  delay 
on  lands  suitable  for  the  purpose,  with 
a  view  to  keeping  up  the  supply  per- 
petually, and  of  preserving  the  proper 
proportion  of  woodland,  so  as  to  save 
us  from  tTiose  climatic  changjes  which 
are  sure  to  follow  the  denudation  of  the 
country,  bringing  in  their  train  drouths, 
excessive  floods,  sterility,  famine  and 
pestilence. 

Ripening  Grapes. — ^^JosiahHoopes  says 
in  the  M.  Y,  THbune  :—'''!^o  surer  evi- 
dence ©f  Ihe  impropriety  of  defoliation  to 
admi±  the -sun's  rays  can  be  cited  than  the 
results  of  recent  experiments  in  bagging 
grapes.  We  see  that  the  covered  clusters 
ripen  more  thoroughly,  color  more  beau- 
tifully and  assume  that  charming  bloom 
which,  without  artificial  aid,  in  many  sec- 
tions, they  rarely  attain.  The  foliage  in 
a  great  measure  acts  as  the  lungs  do  in  the 
animal  creation,  and  every  perfect  healthy 
leaf  taken  off  a  plant  destroys  a  portion 
at  least  of  its  power  of  subsistence,  for 
vegetation  extracts  from  the  air  a  wonder- 
ful amount  of  nutriment,  which  enters 
into  its  organism  through  the  myriads  of 
minute  apertures  which  nature  has  jbo 
wisely  ordained  for  this  express  pui^pose. 
Then  why  partially  cut  off  its  means  of 
supply  to  gratify  the  whimithat  fruit  must 
receive  the  direct  xays  of  the  sun  ?'' 


HORTICULTURAL  GOSSIP  XIV. 

BY  L.    WOOLVERTON,   GRIMSBY. 

The  Horticulturist. — Our  magazine 
is  making  rapid  strides  in  advance. 
The  beautiful  plates  which  embellish 
the  volume  for  1882,  will  make  it  an 
attractive  table  book,  and  the  large 
number  of  practical  hints  cannot  fail  to 
make  it  popular  with  fruit  growers  in 
general.  I  have  shown  some  numbera 
to  several  growers  here,  who  had  become 
apathetic  toward  our  Association,  and 
I  have  succeeded  in  demonstrating  that 
a  horticulturist  cannot  spend  a  dollar 
to  better  advantage  than  by  subscribing 
for  the  Canadian  Horticulturist,  a 
magazine  which  is  entirely  devoted  to 
his  interests ;  for  in  addition  to  this 
he  also  gets  the  Report  of  the  meetings 
of  the  Association,  nicely  bound  for 
preservation,  an  excellent  plant,  and 
the  benefit  of  some  very  interesting 
discussions. 

Altogether,  I  am  quite  sure  that  the 
Ontario  Fruit  Growers'  Association  has 
entered  upon  a  new  era  of  prosperity, 
when  the  labors  of  its  Directors  will  be 
more  than  ever  appreciated  by  the 
public. 

Keeping  a  Calendar. — For  some  years 
I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  keeping  a 
calendar  in  connection  with  the  orchard, 
and  would  recommend  it  to  others,  as 
forming  in  time  a  useful  book  of  refer- 
ence. A  book  of  twenty-four  pages, 
foolscap  size,  is  convenient  for  the  pur- 
pose. Two  pages  may  be  devoted  to 
each  month,  and  will  answer  for  six 
years  by  dividing  each  page  into  three 
perpendicular  columns,  one  for  each 
year.  The  number  of  horizontal  lines 
ruled  upon  the  sheets  will  correspond 
with  the  number  of  days  in  each  month. 
This  will  afford  room  for  a  brief  note 
for  each  day  of  the  month,  and  will 
present  before  one,  at  a  single  glance, 
the  same  day  of  the  same  month  for 
six  different  years.     Comparisons  can 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


149 


thus  be  easily  drawn,  and  will  often  be 
of  practical  benefit  in  planning  work. 
For  example,  here  are  a  few  extracts 
for  the  month  of  May  for  six  years, 
without,  of  course,  showing  the  form, 
which  would  require  too  much  space  : 

1874.— 18th,  Peach  blossoms.  25th,  Apple 
bloom. 

1875.— Ist,  Snow.  7th  to  nth,  Wet.  22nd, 
Cherry  and  plum  bloom.  26th, 
Killing  tent-caterpillars.  27th, 
Apple  bloom, 

1876.— 18th,  Peach  and  cherry  bloom.  20th, 
Transplanting  tomatoes.  25th,  Kill- 
ing tent-caterpillars.  26th,  Apple 
bloom. 

1877. — 3rd,  Sowing  early  com,  planting  pear, 
quince  and  peach  trees.  8th,  Started 
cultivator  among  currant,  straw- 
berry and  blackberry  plants.  15th, 
Peach  bloom.  18th,  Hot.  Corn 
up.  20th,  Apple  bloom.  22nd, 
Kain.  23rd,  Transplanting  from 
hot  beds.  24th,  Killing  tent-cater- 
pillars. 25th,  10  acres  ready  for 
corn.  30th,  Killing  cankerworms 
with  garden  syringe  and  Paris  green. 

1878.— 3rd,  Apple  bloom.  5th  to  8th,  Too 
wet  for  working  soil.  9th,  Trans- 
planting from  hot  beds.  10th,  Cold 
and  chilly.  13th,  White  frost  cut- 
ting off  beans,  tomatoes,  straw- 
berries, cherries,  potatoes,  &;c.  21st, 
Com  all  planted.  24th,  Hot.  25th, 
Killing  tent-caterpillars.  30th,  Dig- 
ging out  peach  borer. 

1879. — Great  drouth  through  the  whole 
month.  17th,  Peach  bloom.  23rd, 
Apple  bloom.  26th,  Killing  tent- 
caterpillars. 

1880.— 5th,  Peach  and  cherry  bloom.  11th, 
Apple  bloom.  18th  to  30th,  Very 
dry. 

Bearing  qualities  of  various  kinds  of 
Apple  trees. — This  would  be  a  very 
pmctical  subject  for  discussion  on  some 
occasion,  and  a  great  deal  of  interesting 
data  might  be  gathered.  According  to 
my  own  experience  the  leading  apple 
in  this  respect  is  the  Rhode  Island 
Greening.  One  old  tree  of  huge  dimen- 
sions, about  seventy  years  of  age,  pro- 
duces enormous  crops,  almost  beyond 
credulity.     One  season  the  huge  yield 


of  twenty  baiTels  was  taken  from  it, 
and  from  fifteen  to  seventeen  barrels  is 
by  no  means  an  unusual  quantity  each 
alternate  year. 

I  do  not  think  any  other  kind  will 
equal  this  one  for  productiveness.  The 
Baldwin,  at  maturity,  will  yield  eight 
or  ten  barrels,  the  Snow  or  Faraense 
about  six,  while  the  Fall  Pippin  and 
the  Early  Harvest  yield  about  four 
barrels  each  every  alternate  year. 

Now,  if  we  could  obtain  from  various 
sections  of  the  country  information  as 
to  the  productiveness  of  the  various 
kinds  of  apples,  it  would  be  a  very  use- 
ful aid  to  those  wishing  to  select  varie- 
ties for  orchard  planting,  because  it 
would  help  them  to  determine  what 
varieties  would  give  the  highest  net 
returns  per  acre. 


FRUITS  OF  MANCHURIA. 

An  interesting  letter  has  been  re- 
ceived by  Mr.  Thomas  Beall,  Lindsay, 
one  of  the  Directoi-s  of  the  Fruit  Growers' 
Association  of  Ontario,  brought  out  by 
inquiries  made  by  him  concerning  the 
fruits  of  Northern  China,  or  properly 
Manchuria,  with  a  view  to  ascertain 
whether  there  might  not  be  some  found 
there  which,  on  account  of  their  ability 
to  endure  extreme  cold,  might  be  worthy 
of  introduction  for  planting  in  the  more 
northern  parts  of  this  Province.  The 
letter  is  dated  at  Newchwang,  23rd 
February,  1882,  and  is  as  follows  : 

''My  Dear  Doctor  Watson, — I 
fear  the  fruit  trees  of  this  Province  are 
valueless  for  the  purposes  of  the  Ontario 
Association.  The  gooseberry  does  not 
exist  here,  and  the  raspberry  is  only 
known  in  a  wild  state  (in  the  south  of 
the  Province).  I  have  not  seen  the 
cherry  here,  the  fruit  we  eat  being 
imported  from  Chihli  or  Shantung — in 
which  latter  Province  I  have  seen  fair 
specimens,  but  none  which  would  repay 
transportation.      The  native   plum   I 


150 


THE   CANADIAN    H0ETI0ULTURT8T. 


have  seen  in  our  own  garden.  We 
value  it  for  its  spring  flowers,  and  it 
must  be  confessed  it  blossoms  magnifi- 
cently. Last  year  we  had  two  trees  in 
fruit — a  five  and  a  four-year  old.  They 
bore  remarkably  well,  and  to  our  sur- 
prise the  fruit  was  palatable.  It  is  a 
small  russet  brown  plum,  not  unlike 
some  of  our  common  varieties  at  home ; 
but  one  could  not  say  of  it  that  it  is 
equal  to  our  inferior  sorts,  or  that  it  is 
a  fruit  one  would  care  to  eat  if  one  had 
any  choice.  The  pear  is  abundant  all 
over  the  Province,  and  during  my  last 
journey  down  south,  I  saw  some  fine 
large  growers  of  some  fifteen  to  twenty 
years'  standing.  Those  I  have  myself 
grown  are  from  Kuang-Ning,  in  the 
west  of  the  Province,  where  the  Chinese 
seem  to  take  some  pains  with  the  culti- 
vation. I  was  supposed  to  have  quite 
a  large  assortment,  but  I  can  only  count 
four  varieties,  and  of  these,  I  say  con- 
fidently, there  is  not  one  which  would 
be  tolerated  in  the  west.  *  It  might  be 
worth  while  to  enquire  whether  the 
variety  we  commonly  speak  of  as  the 
'Peking'  pear  (native  of  Chihli  Pro- 
vince), would  not  bear  removal  to 
America,  but  I  should  fancy  we  only 
think  it  luscious  in  comparison  with 
the  turnip  taste  of  the  others.  I  con- 
fess T  have  eaten  it  as  a  great  delicacy 
in  mid-winter,  but  then  it  was  in  the 
north  of  China,  and  after  I  had  for- 
gotten the  taste  of  home  fruit. 

"  The  peach  is  also  a  poor  thing  in 
this  Province,  nor  did  I  ever  think  much 
of  it  in  Shantung.  Some  good  judges, 
however,  declare  it  to  have  a  flavor  of 
its  own,  and  I  have  heard  one  friend 
say,  that  neither  the  English  nor  Ameri- 
can varieties  which  he  has  tasted  have 
the  rich,  fruity  flavor  of  our  native  peach 
(such  as  we  have  here  in  our  own  gar- 
den). Of  this  you  are  yourself  com- 
petent to  judge,  as  you  have  frequently 
tasted  them.  It  is  noteworthy,  how- 
ever, that  the  very  palatable  peaches 


you  ate  last  year  in  Mrs.  C.'s  garden 
were  from  wild  plants  sown  only  three 
or  four  years  ago.  We  had  no  such 
good  eatable  peaches  ever  from  trees 
we  consider  to  be  grafts. 

"  As  to  the  grape,  I  should  not  fancy 
we  have  anything  to  off'er  to  the  west. 
I  differ  from  most  in  their  enthusiasm 
for  the  grape  of  this  Province.  All  I 
know  is  that  I  could  not  refrain  from 
eating  grapes  in  Shantung,  even  when 
I  suffered  a  severe  penalty,  whereas 
here  I  am  simply  beyond  temptation. 
I  have  eaten  grapes  in  Germany,  where 
they  were  as  common  as  gooseberries 
with  us,  and  I  am  meanwhile  awaiting 
the  advent  of  a  grape  which  will  dimly 
remind  me  of  these.  But  the  Chinese 
seem  to  me  very  backward  in  the  matter 
of  grape  culture,  and  therefore  we  don't 
know  as  yet  what  the  native  varieties 
are  capable  of.  For  the  quince  you 
must  enquire  further  south.  I  used  to 
see  it  used  largely  in  condiments  in 
the  south  of  Shantung  Province. 

"We  have,  of  course,  no  currants. 
As  you  know,  a  year  or  two  hence  we 
shall  have  some  notion  of  how  American 
fruit  trees  do  in  our  Manchurian  climate. 
Excuse  poverty. 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"J.  Macintyre. 

"  P.S. — Mr.  Macintyre  refers  to  some 
fruit  trees  whcih  he  and  I  got  last  year 
from  the  States.  We  can  say  nothing 
of  them  yet.  J.  W." 

This  letter  was  accompanied  by  one 
from  Dr.  Watson  himself,  dated  at 
Newchwang.  2nd  March,  1882,  in 
which  he  says : 

"  I  very  much  fear  there  are  no  fruit 
trees'  worth  sending  to  Canada  from 
this  portion  of  China.  There  are  two 
pears  however — a  large  and  a  small 
kind — grown  in  and  near  Peking,  which 
to  my  mind  are  simply  delicious.  I 
differ  from  Mr.  Macintyre  in  his  esti- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


161 


mate  of  the  grape.  It  certainly  is  not 
so  sweet  as  the  hot-house  gi-apes  we  get 
in  England,  but  it  is  beautifully  grown, 
and  the  fruit  ripens  in  immense  and 
splendid  bunches  from  three  to  ten 
pounds  in  weight." 

ORNAMENTAL  TREES  AND  PLANTS. 

BY   OEORQE   ELLWANQEK,    ROCHESTER. 

THE  HAWTHORN.— (CrotoflTtts.) 

This  distinct  and  interesting  genus 
is  deserving  of  far  more  attention  than 
it  has  generally  received.     If  nature 
be  taken  as  a  guide  in  the  effects  pro- 
duced by  the  employment  of  different 
varieties  of  trees  in  adorning  and  in- 
dividualizing sylvan  scenery,  the  Haw- 
thorn will  stand  among  the  best  types 
of  arboreal  picturesqueness  and  a  cer- 
tain boldness  of  beauty.     Among  orna- 
mental trees  it  should  be  accorded  a 
high  rank  ;  as  an   English  enthusiavst 
observes,  "  it  brings  the  fragrant  breath 
of  summer — the  purity,  freshness  and 
perfume  of  a  real  June  day."     No  less 
on  account  of  its  beauty  of  bloom,  how- 
ever, than  for  its  other  many  valuable 
characteristics,  should  it  receive  acknow- 
ledgement as  an  important  factor  in 
landscape  adornment.     All  of  its  many 
varieties  are  perfectly  hardy,  thriving 
in  almost  any  dry  soil.     In  general  they 
produce  fine  shaped,  low  trees,  occupy- 
ing comparatively  little  space, and  wljose 
wealth   of  green   foliage  and   compact 
heads  form  most  pleasing  objects,  the 
tree  being  scarcely  less  attractive  dur- 
ing winter  in  its  rugged  picturesqueness 
of  naked  lines.     The  flowers  are  con- 
spicuous, of  varied  colors,  from  white 
to  crimson,  the  single   varieties  espe- 
cially possessing  a  fine  aromatic  per- 
fume. 

During  autumn  and  early  winter, 
when  the  beauty  of  most  deciduous 
trees  remains  only  as  a  memory,  most 
of  the  species  stand  out  in  brilliant 
array,  covered  with  bright  red  and  yel- 
low fruits.     Many  garden  birds  remain 


as  long  as  the  berries  are  plentiful,  and 
on  the  fruit  of  trees  skirting  woodland, 
the  grouse  and  other  birds  are  in  the 
habit  of  feeding  in  the  fall.  In  addi- 
tion to  its  other  qualities,  the  thorn  is 
of  much  value  for  its  wood,  which  is 
almost  equal  to  that  of  the  much  prized 
box,  and  which  is  even  finer  in  color. 
No  more  advantages  can  be  enumerated 
for  any  other  genus  of  ornamental  trees. 
The  blooms  of  the  double  flowering 
varieties,  together  with  the  single  scar- 
let and  pink,  are  very  desiraVjle  for 
decorative  purposes.  They  are  also 
fine  objects  for  conservatories,  forcing 
well  and  flowering  finely.  For  this 
purpose  the  Hawthorn  has  also  been 
unjustly  neglected  ;  and  by  utilizing  it 
florists  might  add  largely  to  their  store 
and  variety  of  valuable  flowers. 

Among  native  varieties  the  scarlet 
fruited  is  in  particular  worthy  the  atten- 
tion of  the  landscape  gardener.  On  our 
own  grounds  we  have  a  large  tree  of 
this  charming  variety  upon  which,  per- 
haps, a  hundred  summer  suns  have 
shone,  which  nature  kindly  planted  in 
a  corner  of  a  line  fence.  No  tree  in 
our  arboretum  is  more  admired  when 
in  bloom  or  in  fruit.  The  flower  is 
large,  of  a  pure  white,  the  berries  flash- 
ing a  deep  scarlet,  and  being  quite 
pleasant  to  the  taste. 

The  double  varieties  I  have  refeired 
to — Paul's  Double  Scarlet,  the  Double 
White  and  the  Double  Pink — are  all 
European  sorts  of  the  cratcegus  oxya- 
cantha  type,  and  are  specially  recom- 
mended for  small  town  gardens,  as  well 
as  for  large  lawns  and  parks.  These 
are  all  profuse  bloomei-s,  coveiing  the 
trees  with  miniature  roses.  The  Eng- 
lish, appreciating  the  beauties  of  the 
Hawthorn,  employ  it  for  hedges  more 
than  any  other  material ;  and  any  one 
who  has  travelled  through  English  lanes 
in  the  flowering  season  will  remember 
with    after-delight    the    pleasing    im- 


162 


THE   CANADIAN   HOKTICULTURIST. 


pressions  to  sight  and  smell.  Most  of 
the  American  species  are  of  more  robust 
growth  than  the  European,  and  there- 
fore better  adapted  in  our  climate  for 
hedge  purposes. 

The  Cockspur  Thorn,  which  is  widely- 
distributed  over  the  Northern  and 
Middle  States,  is  one  of  the  most  vigor- 
ous growers,  and,  if  planted  in  good 
soil  and  well  taken  care  of  for  the  first 
few  years,  will  make  an  impenetrable 
barrier  for  animals. 

It  does  not  take  up  as  much  room  as 
the  Osage  Orange  and  Honej  Locust, 
and  can  be  kept  under  control  with  the 
shears.  The  Thorn  is  also  more  lasting 
than  either  of  these  commonly  employed 
hedge  plants,  besides  being  easier  cared 
for,  and  more  ornamental  on  account 
of  its  beauty  of  flower  and  berry. 

Some  of  the  most  distinct  varieties 
in  the  very  large  list  that  have  come 
under  my  observation,  are  herewith  pre- 
sented, without  adding  any  particular 
description,  which  may  be  found  in  the 
Ornamental  Catalogues.  It  may  be 
stated  that  the  most  ornamental  are 
the  double  varieties  previously  referred 
to,  and  which  I  place  at  the  head  of  the 
list,  as  deserving  the  very  highest  com- 
mendation : 

Double  Varieties.  —  Paul's  Double 
Scarlet,  Double  Red,  or  Superb,  Double 
White,  Double  Scarlet. 

Single  Varieties. — Gumpper's  Varie- 
gated Scarlet-flowering,  Pink-flowering, 
Common  White,  Variegated-leaved, 
Scarlet-fruited,  Douglass,  Azarole, 
Glossy-leaved,  Hybrid  Smooth-leaved, 
Black-fruited,  Tomentosa,  Oriental, 
Parsley-leaved,  Cockspur,  Tansey- 
leaved.  Pyramidal,  Maple-leaved,  Med- 
lar-leaved, Apple-leaved. 

While  the  double-flowering  varieties 
may,  perhaps,  be  chosen  in  preference 
for  single  specimens  where  space  is 
limited,  the  various  single  varieties  are 
almost   equally    deserving  a   place   in 


larger  collections  where  the  space  will 
admit.  As  to  choice  among  the  many 
excellent  sorts,  this  may  best  be  left  to 
individual  taste. 


NEW  VARIETIES  OF  STRAWBERRIES. 

Manchester. — This  is  certainly  a  re- 
markable strawberry.  It  is  a  new 
variety  to  the  world  at  large,  and  yet  it 
has  been  carefully  tested  for  seven  years 
on  a  private  fruit  farm,  and  each  year 
has  been  growing  in  favor  with  those 
who  have  had  an  opportunity  for  in- 
specting the  fruit.  The  Manchester 
will,  I  think,  prove  a  decided  favorite 
with  those  who  have  sandy  soils,  as  it 
gives  fine  crops  on  such  soils  that  are 
so  light  that  weeds  do  not  thrive  well 
upon  them.  Another  very  valuable 
point  is  that  the  berries  are  very  firm, 
and  stand  shipment  finely,  and  usually 
keep  their  color  so  well  that  they  can 
be  kept  on  sale  a  day  or  two  longer  after 
being  picked  than  can  most  strawberries. 
The  fruit  is  of  good  size,  and  ripens  from 
medium  to  late  in  the  season. 

Mt.  Vernon. — Though  this  variety  is 
not  sufficiently  firm  to  ship  long  dis- 
tances, yet  the  fruit  is  so  luscious,  and 
of  such  a  brilliant  scarlet  color  as  to 
make  it  a  great  favorite  for  home  use 
or  near  markets.  The  berries  are  of 
large  size,  and  average  large.  Their 
uniform  size  and  brilliant  color  makes 
them  sell  well  in  market — one-third  of 
an  acre  yielding  over  $600  worth  of 
berries.  The  fruit  ripens  moderately 
late,  making  it  possible  to  extend  the 
season  a  week  or  two  longer  than  would 
be  the  case  if  only  early  varieties  ai-e 
planted. 

Bidwell. — This  is  proving  very  popu- 
lar. The  plants  are  exceedingly  pro- 
ductive, the  fruit  at  times  averaging  as 
large  as  the  Sharpless,  and  sometimes 
being  produced  to  the  extent  of  as  many 
bushels  to  the  acre  as  the  far-famed 
Crescent.     It  is  a  fine  eating  berry,  and 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


153 


also  a  good  shipping  berry.  The  plants 
are  very  vigorous  growers,  and,  what 
should  be  carefully  noted,  have  stood 
the  drouth  here  better  than  almost  any 
other  strawberry,  scarcely  a  leaf  having 
wilted  or  burned.  It  is  well  worthy  of 
trial. 

Orient  should  succeed  in  places  where 
the  Monarch  of  the  West  does  well,  as 
it  has  veiy  similar  habits  of  growth. 
Finche^s  Prolific  is  also  a  vigorous 
growing  variety,  and  a  promising  mar- 
ket sort.  Sharpless,  Miner's  Great 
Prolific,  Chas.  Downing  and  Capt.  Jcich 
are  other  excellent  varieties  that  succeed 
finely  in  many  places. 

Of  the  one  or  two  hundred  varieties 
that  I  have  been  growing  at  different 
times,  the  above,  including  the  Wilson's 
Albany,  appear  to  be  among  the  most 
desirable.-  -R.  H.  Haines,  in  Southern 
Cultivator. 


HANGING  BASKETS. 

For  hanging  baskets  the  Partridge 
vine  is  invaluable,  as  its  brilliant  scarlet 
berries  enliven  and  relieve  the  sober 
green.  Take  up  large  vines  of  it  with 
as  many  berries  as  possible.  If  they 
are  green  when  found  they  will  turn  red 
shortly.  Always  place  the  vines  around 
the  edge  of  the  basket,  put  in  some 
Maurandia  vines  to  climb  the  wires. 
For  the  centre  a  Happy-Thought  Gera- 
nium, or  what  is  prettier,  a  Myosotis — 
Forget-me-not. 

The  popular  tradition,  which  tells  how 
the  name  of  Forget-me-not  came  to  be 
applied  to  the  plant  which  now  bears  it 
throughout  Europe,  is  not  generally 
known.  It  is  said  that  a  knight  and  a 
lady  were  walking  by  the  side  of  the 
Danube,  interchanging  vows  of  devotion 
and  affection,  when  the  lady  saw  on  the 
other  side  of  the  stream  the  bright  blue 
flowers  of  the  myosotis,  and  expressed  a 
desire  for  them.  The  knight,  eager  to 
gratify  her,  plunged  into  the  river,  and, 


reaching  the  opposite  bank,  gathered  a 
bunch  of  flowers.  On  his  return  the 
current  proved  to  strong  for  him,  and 
after  many  efforts  to  reach  the  land  he 
was  bonie  away.  With  a  last  effort  he 
flung  the  fatal  blossoms  upon  the  land, 
exclaiming  as  he  did  so,  "  Forget-me- 
not  !" 

"And  the  lady  fair  of  the  knight  so  true 

Still  remembered  his  hapless  lot, 

And  she  cherished  the  flowers  of  brilliant  hue. 

And  she  braided  her  hair  with  the  blossoms 

blue, 

And  she  called  it  Forget-me-not." 

— Floral  Monthlj/. 


OLD  AND  NEW  PLUMS. 

A  New  Jei*sey  plum  grower  writes  to 
the  Chicago  Inter  Ocean  the  following 
in  reference  to  plum  culture  : 

"There  is  somnthing  peculiarly 
fascinating  in  this  fruit — a  certain 
charm  connected  with  it,  that  makes 
the  person  who  is  presented  with  a 
basket  of  plums  generally  feel  that  he 
is  receiving  an  unusual  treat.  It  may 
be  that  it  is  partly  owing  to  the  widely 
prevalent  theory,  "  That  the  sweetest 
roses  have  the  most  thorns,"  that  this 
is  so,  and  that  consequently  as  it  is 
usually  thought  that  the  plum  is  a  veiy 
difficult  fruit  to  grow,  it  is  more  highly 
prized  on  that  account.  It  certainly  is 
a  decided  favorite,  otherwise  persons 
living  in  large  cities,  like  New  York 
and  Boston,  could  not  be  found  paying 
for  plums  at  the  rate  of  a  cent  a  plum 
at  the  retail  fruit  stands  or  of  $2  to  $3 
for  a  half  bushel  of  the  fruit  in  the 
wholesale  markets.  On  some  accounts 
the  plum  is  a  difficult  fruit  to  grow,  not 
so  much  from  its  requiring  any  special 
training  or  cultivation,  as  su[)erb  large 
plums  are  often  grown  on  ground  that 
is  not  touched  by  plow  or  hoe  oftener 
than  once  in  five  or  ten  yeara,  but  the 
difficulty  arises  from  the  fact  of  the 
liability  of  the  plum  to  be  stung  aud 


154 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


injured  by  a  little  insect  called  the 
curculio,  causing  the  fruit  to  decay  or 
fall  to  the  ground  before  ripening.  The 
curculio  is  a  small  grayish  brown  insect, 
about  one-sixth  of  an  inch  long,  and  with 
wings  that  appear  like  two  little  humps 
on  its  back.  Owing  to  the  crescent- 
shaped  mark  that  it  makes  when  biting 
into  the  young  fruit  and  laying  its  eggs, 
it  has  also  been  given  the  name  of  the 
"  little  Turk."  However,  fine  crops 
can  easily  be  obtained  in  most  sections 
of  the  country,  notwithstanding  this 
insect.  One  of  the  simplest  or  surest 
methods  is  to  plant  the  plum  trees  in  a 
chicken  yard,  or  to  turn  the  plum  orch- 
ard, if  not  large,  into  a  poultry  yard 
when  the  trees  become  of  bearing  age. 
If  pigs  are  allowed  to  run  in  the  orchard 
and  eat  up  all  the  injured  fruit  as  it 
falls,  then  they  will  prove  almost 
equally  as  serviceable  as  chickens. 
Another  method  is  to  plant  the  trees 
on  the  edges  of  brooks  or  ponds,  so  that 
the  branches  shall  hang  over  the  water. 
Still  another  is  to  have  the  ground 
closely  paved  with  large  flat  stones  or 
shells  around  the  trees.  As  plums  are 
always  picked  from  the  trees,  and  not 
from  the  ground,  none  of  the  above 
plans  will  interfere  very  much  in 
gathering  the  fruit.  I  could  give  many 
other  successful  plans  for  preventing 
the  fruit  from  being  injured  by  the 
curculio,  but  must  now  turn  my  atten- 
tion to  giving  descriptions  of  some  of 
the  finer  varieties  of  plums. 

The  General  Hand  is  a  handsome, 
very  large,  golden-yellow  plum  that  is 
supposed  to  have  originated  near  Lan- 
caster, Pa.  The  fruit  is  of  a  roundish 
oval  shape,  and  frequently  marbled 
with  greenish-yellow.  It  is  a  showy, 
attractive  looking  plum,  sweet  and 
moderately  juicy,  and  of  fair  quality  ; 
ripens  in  September.  It  succeeds  better 
in  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  in 
some  of  the  Gulf  States  than  it  does  at 
the  West  or  North. 


Wild  Goose — This  is  proving  quite 
a  favorite  in  many  localities,  but  espe- 
cially in  places  where  it  has  been 
considered  difficult  to  grow  the  ordinary 
varieties  of  pi  ums.  It  has  been  heralded 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  country  as  being  a  "  curculio-proof  " 
plum.  Though  this  is  not  strictly  the 
case,  yet  it  appears  in  many  places  to 
be  less  attractive  to  that  little  insect, 
either  on  account  of  its  thicker  skin  of 
something  distasteful  in  the  fruit.  The 
wild  goose  is  of  small  or  medium  size, 
round,  of  a  yellowish  red  color,  and 
ripens  moderately  early.  Though  it  is 
excelled  in  quality  by  some  other  plums, 
yet,  as  it  succeeds  so  generally  through- 
out the  United  States,  and  even  in 
Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  it  will  pro- 
bably continue  to  be  a  favorite. 

The  Richland  is  a  plum  that  is  not  very 
widely  known.  The  fruit  is  of  medium 
size,  of  a  purplish  red  color,  tinged  with 
blue,  of  oval  form,  and  of  quite  good 
quality.  It  ripens  in  August,  at  about 
the  middle  of  the  plum  season.  It  is 
grown  for  either  market  or  table  use, 
and  thus  far  mostly  within  the  Middle 
States. 

Pond's  Seedling  is  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  beautiful  of  plums.  The  fruit 
is  of  oval  form,  skin  of  a  yellow  color, 
profusely  dotted  with  red,  and  with  a 
white  bloom.  It  ripens  in  September, 
and  is  of  moderately  good  quality.  It 
is  of  English  origin,  and  has  not  yet 
been  very  generally  tested,  but  thus  far 
has  proved  quite  promising  where 
grown. 

Coe's  Golden  Drop,  Imperial  Gage, 
Washington,  and  Yellow  Egg  are  some 
of  the  largest,  best,  and  most  delicious 
of  yellow  plums,  and  are  very  general 
favorites.  The  first  is  quite  a  late 
variety,  and  the  second  moderately  early. 
Lombard,  a  reddish  purple  plum,  is 
popular  on  account  of  its  great  hardines.' 
at  the  far  North. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


155 


STRAWBERRIES. 

The  following  account  of  the  opinions 
given  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Ameri- 
can Pomological  Society  was  given  to 
the  Prairie  Farmer  by  the  horticultural 
Editor,  Mr.  T.  T.  Lyon. 

P.  T.  Quinn,  of  Newark,  N.J.,  com- 
menced by  saying  that  his  views,  as  to 
the  proper  method  of  growing  straw- 
berries had  undergone  a  change  within 
the  last  dozen  years.  He  is  now  of  the 
opinion  that  the  best  of  soil  and  culti- 
vation is  requisite  for  the  production  of 
fine  berries  and  profitable  crops. 

Until  recently  he  had  planted  in 
summer,  but  now  thinks  spring  plant- 
ing more  profitable.  He  gives  clean 
culture  till  the  middle  of  September, 
and  then  mulches  for  the  winter,  raking 
off  the  covering  in  spring.  He  omits 
the  use  of  horse  power  in  cultivation 
during  the  year  of  fruiting,  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  feeding  roots  come  too 
near  the  surftice,  and  would  hence  be 
too  much  disturbed  by  the  cultivator. 

He  stated  that  he  had  produced  over 
170  bushels  from  a  single  acre.  It  is 
his  practice  to  test  the  promising,  new 
varieties.  All  things  considered,  the 
Charles  Downing  is  his  favorite,  though 
Boyden's  No.  30  (Seth  Boyden),  is 
popular  with  dealei-s.  His  last  crop 
netted  him  fourteen  cents  per  quart. 

Dr.  Hexamer,  of  N.Y.,  dwelt  largely 
upon  the  value  and  importance  of  irri- 
gation. He  concurred  with  Mr.  Quinn 
in  a  preference  for  sjjring  planting,  but 
thought  Wilson  one  of  the  best  ship- 
ping berries.  For  amateur  planters  he 
recommended  the  use  of  potted  plants. 
In  response  to  a  question  by  a  member, 
he  remarked  that  the  Triom[)he  de 
Gand  was  one  of  the  finest  of  shipping 
strawberries. 

The  consideration  of  the  several 
varieties  served  to  bring  out  promi- 
nently the  fact  that  nearly  or  quite  all 
varieties  are  more  or  less  local,  so  far 


as  successful  cultivation  is  concerned; 
a  very  few  only  proving  satisfactory 
over  an  extended  range  of  territory. 

Agriculturist  was  not  generally 
thought  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  cata- 
logue. 

Black  Defiance  was  commended  as 
"  best "  for  those  who  want  a  first-class 
large  berry. 

Captain  Jack,  one  of  the  best  market 
beri'ies.     Quite  prolific. 

Charles  Downing,  one  of  the  best  of 
all  berries  for  general  use.  Said  to  be 
liable  to  blight  in  some  places. 

Col.  Cheney,  good,  if  well  fertilized. 

Crystal  City,  a  valuable  early  berry. 
Commended  in  Georgia,  but  not  as  good 
for  shipping.  Said  to  be  poor  and  small 
on  clay. 

Crescent  is  very  well  able  to  take 
care  of  itself,  has  great  vitality,  is  pro- 
fitable for  a  near  market. 

Cumberland  Triumph,  one  of  the 
best,  popular  everywhere.  A  good 
shipping  berry  in  Ohio ;  holds  its  size 
till  last  picking. 

Downer's  Prolific  is  being  replaced 
by  more  recent  and  better  varieties. 

Duchess,  an  early  berry ;  does  well 
grown  in  hills. 

Duncan,  early  and  of  very  fine 
quality. 

Forest  Rose,  under  ordinary  culture 
has  not  realized  the  antici})ations  of 
growers.  Its  foliage  fails  and  the  blos- 
soms are  tender. 

General  Sherman,  poor  in  quality. 

Glendale,  generally  regarded  as 
worthless. 

Glossy  Cone,  fails  under  the  influence 
of  sun.  and  drought. 

Golden  Defiance,  a  fine,  late  variety, 
for  home  use. 

Great  American,  variable  and  uncer- 
tain, usually  unpixKiuctive ;  very  dis- 
appointing. 


156 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Green  Prolific,  very  sure,  prolific  and 
profitable  for  a  near  market.  Some 
members  suggested  that  it  is  no  longer 
needed  since  we  have  the  Crescent. 

Henry  Davis,  a  good  amateur  berry, 
does  not  bear  heavy  crops,  but  is  of 
good  quality. 

Hovey's  Seedling,  originated  fifty 
years  ago,  was  the  first  hybrid  straw- 
berry of  American  origin ;  still  retains 
its  quality. 

Jenny  Lind,  little  grown  outside  of 
Boston  and  its  vicinity. 

Jucunda,  once  so  popular,  has  ceased 
to  be  satisfactory. 

Kentucky,  one  of  the  best  market 
berries  in  Arkansas,  the  late  market 
berry  of  Ohio.     It  takes  care  of  itself. 

Long  worth's  Prolific,  is  the  great 
berry  of  California. 

Matilda,  generally  unsatisfactory. 
Miner's   Great  Prolific,   one  of  the 
finest  and  largest  of  all  the  strawberries. 

Monarch  of  the  West,  uncertain, 
liable  to  be  injured  by  spring  frosts. 

Newman's  Prolific,  the  popular  berry 
of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  quality 
often  poor  elsewhere. 

Nicanor,  very  early  and  hardy,  some 
say  earlier  than  Duchess  and  Wilson. 

Pioneer,  an  early  variety  and  a  strong 
grower. 

President  Wilder,  of  the  finest  qual- 
ity, under  high  cultivation,  handsome 
and  unsurpassed.  It  has  stood  for 
twenty  years  as  one  of  the  best  in  form, 
color  and  quality. 

Prouty,  superseded. 

Rocky  Hill  Triumph,  same  as  Cum- 
berland Triumph. 

Russell's  Prolific,  superseded. 

Russell's  Advance,  of  good  quality; 
stands  the  sun  well,  hardy,  soft. 

Seneca  Chief,  little  known;  of  no 
value. 


Seneca  Queen,  of  good  quality,  pro- 
ductive, uniform  in  size  and  shape,  a 
little  later  than  Duchess. 

Boyden's  No.  30  (Seth  Boyden), 
sweet,  valuable  in  some  places,  especi- 
ally with  abundant  moisture. 

Sharpless,  fruit  not  good  in  a  wet 
season;  large  and  prolific  under  good 
treatment;  quality  usually  good,  mis- 
shapen only  when  overgrown.  The 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society 
gave  it  the  first  premium  this  year. 
It  is  less  prolific  the  first  season. 

Springdale  is  very  fine  for  home  use. 

Triomphe  de  Gand,  the  type  of  high 
quality,  and  on  suitable  soil  will  give 
the  best  results ;  keeps  well. 

Triple  Crown,  of  very  high  flavor. 

Victoria  (Golden  Queen),  unsatisfac- 
tory. 

Windsor  Chief,  a  fine  berry. 

Manchester,  a  very  promising  berry, 
uniform  in  size,  prolific,  as  large  as 
Cumberland  Triumph ;  said  to  thrive 
on  poor  soil. 

Kirk  wood,  a  vigorous  plant,  profit- 
able for  a  near  market,  precisely  like 
Mount  Yernon. 

Longfellow,  said  to  be  very  valuable. 

Warren,  of  good  quality,  but  very 
uncertain,  resembles  Seth  Boyden. 

Cetewayo,  one  of  the  strongest 
growers. 

Gypsey,  hardy,  good  quality. 

PINCHING  MELON,  OUCUMBER  AND 
SQUASH  VINES. 

A  practical  gardener  makes  the  fol- 
lowing important  statement  :  "  Last 
year,  as  a  test  of  a  frequent  practice 
among  growers  of  melons  and  squashes, 
I  pinched  the  ends  of  the  long  main 
shoots  of  the  melons,  squashes  and 
cucumbers,  and  left  some  to  run  at  their 
own  will.  The  squash  plant  sent  out 
a  single  stem,  reaching  more  than  forty 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


157 


feet,  but  did  not  bear  any  fruit.  An- 
other plant  was  pinched  until  it  formed 
a  compact  mass  of  intermingling  side 
shoots  eight  feet  square,  and  it  bore 
sixteen  squashes.  The  present  year,  a 
muskmelon  plant  thus  pinched  in  covers 
the  space  allotted  to  it,  and  it  has  set 
twenty-three  specimens  of  fruit,  the 
most  of  which  have  been  pinched  off. 
The  pinching  causes  many  lateral 
branches,  which  latter  produce  the 
female  or  fertile  blossoms,  while  the 
main  vines  only  produce  the  male  blos- 
soms. The  difference  in  favor  of  the 
yield  of  an  acre  of  melons,  treated  by 
this  pinching  process,  may  easily 
amount  to  100  barrels." 


HOW  TO  SECURE  HARDINESS  IN 
OUR  TREES. 

(From  Address  of  President  Barry,  before  the  Western 
New  York  Horticultural  Society). 

Hardiness,  or  the  power  to  resist 
extreme  cold,  is  generally  recognized 
as  a  quality  of  the  first  importance. 
When  a  new  variety  of  fruit  or  a  new 
ornamental  tree  or  plant  is  introduced, 
the  firet  enquiry  made  is  about  its 
hardiness.  In  such  climates  as  ours, 
it  is  the  one  indispensable  quality. 
What,  then,  can  the  cultivator  do  to 
promote  hardiness  ?  He  can  do  much  ; 
first,  and  above  all,  our  land  must  be 
dry,  that  is,  absolutely  free  from  stag- 
nant moisture,  either  naturally,  or 
made  so  by  underdraining.  We  all 
know  that  plants  grown  on  low,  rich, 
moist  lands  are  filled  with  watery 
fluids,  which  render  them  peculiarly 
susceptible  to  injury  from  frost.  We 
often  see  plants  on  low,  moist  gi'ounds 
killed  by  an  early  frost,  when  on  adja- 
cent dry  ground,  only  a  few  feet  dis- 
tant, they  escaped.  Vegetable  physio- 
logists have  adopted  the  axiom,  '*  That 
the  power  of  plants  to  resist  cold  is  in 
the  inverse  ratio  of  the  rapidity  with 
which  the  fluids  circulate,"  and  '*  that 
the  liability  of  the  fluids  of  plants  to 


freeze  is  greater  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  cells."  That  is,  the  less 
water  there  is  in  the  fluids  of  plants, 
and  the  smaller  the  cells,  the  greater  is 
their  power  to  resist  cold.  This  is  in 
hannony  with  all  our  experience.  This 
is  the  reason  why  such  destruction  has 
fallen  upon  Western  plantations.  I 
have  seen  orchards  at  the  West,  on  low, 
rich  lands,  frozen  while  in  full  leaf,  so 
that  they  looked  perfectly  black  and 
dead.  They  were  full  of  watery  fluids 
when  overtaken  by  the  frost.  The 
Chairman  of  the  Wisconsin  State  Fruit 
Committee  reports  that  "  the  exposed 
crowns  of  many  of  the  highest  lime- 
stone bluffs  in  that  State,  from  100  to 
400  feet  above  the  adjacent  valley,  pro- 
duce as  perfect  orchards  as  can  be  de- 
sired, up  to  latitude  44J°,  where  a  large 
variety  of  our 

EASTERN  APPLES  AND  PEARS 

are  permanently  successful ;  while  in 
the  valley  below  nothing  but  the  Sibe- 
rians or  Duchess  of  Oldenburg  will 
stand.  This  is  the  experience  all  over 
the  West,  and  it  is  ours  only  that  in 
our  milder  climate  it  is  not  so  marked. 
In  the  second  place  soil  must  possess 
sufficient  fertility  to  produce  a  moderate 
healthy  growth.  Trees  or  plants  that 
are  underfed  become  stunted,  and  are 
neither  useful  nor  beautiful.  The  sooner 
they  die  the  better.  Those  that  are 
overfed  make  a  rank,  watery  gi-owth, 
which  does  not  ripen,  and  is  not  in  a 
condition  to  resist  cold.  These  ex- 
tremes are  by  no  means  uncommon  in 
the  treatment  of  trees.  As  a  general 
thing,  the  starvation  process  is  more 
common,  but  it  is  also  very  common  to 
apply  manure  to  excess.  To  maintain 
trees  in  a  state  of  health  and  vigor, 
yielding  their  maximum  of  utility  or 
beauty,  requires  both  care  and  skill  in 
the  application  of  fertilizei-s  and  the 
treatment  of  the  soil.  In  the  manage- 
ment of  fruit  trees,  over-cropping  is  a 


158 


THE   CANADIAN   HOETICULTURIST. 


great  and  very  general  evil.  A  tree 
overloaded  with  fruit  can  neither  per- 
fect the  fruit  nor  ripen  its  wood  pro- 
perly, and  in  a  severe  climate  is  quite 
likely  to  succumb  to  a  degree  of  cold, 
which,  under  proper  treatment,  it  could 
have  resisted  perfectly.  It  is  safe  to 
say  that  millions  of  trees  are  annually 
ruined  in  this  country  by  over-crops. 
The  grape  is  very  sensitive  in  this  re- 
spect ;  if  overloaded,  the  fruit  will  not 
color,  nor  will  the  wood  ripen.  It  is 
not  uncommon  to  hear  people  complain 
of  their  grapes  not  ripening  and  their 
vines  being  killed,  and  ascribing  the 
trouble  to  every  cause  but  the  right 
one,  over-cropping.  This  is  an  error 
committed  not  by  novices  only.  A 
great  many  trees  and  plants  are  killed 
by  kindness,  too.  New  plants,  costing 
a  high  price,  are  very  apt  to  be  stimu- 
lated by  manure  and  water,  so  that, 
instead  of  making  a  moderate,  well 
ripened  growth,  they  are  forced,  as  it 
were,  and  come  out  dead  in  the  spring. 
I  have  seen  many  such  cases.  I  will 
only  refer  to  one  on  our  own  grounds 
as 

A   FAIR   EXAMPLE. 

There  was  a  large  bed  of  the  new 
Hydrangea  paniculata  on  the  lawn ; 
the  plants  were  set  close,  and  it  was 
thought  that  a  surface  dressing  of 
manure  and  plenty  of  water  would 
assist  their  flowering,  which  takes  place 
late  in  the  season,  and  generally  when 
it  is  dry.  This  treatment  was  well 
enough,  but  they  got  too  much  of  both 
manure  and  water.  They  did  not  ripen 
either  roots  or  tops,  and  nearly  all  were 
dead  the  following  spring,  while  those 
in  other  parts  of  the  ground  left  to 
themselves  were  not  injured  in  the 
slightest  degree.  I  will  mention  aiv- 
other  instance  which  has  frequently 
arrested  my  attention, .  as  showing  the 
importance  of  well-ripened  wood.  The 
varieties  of  Gk)lden  Arbor  Vitse  have 
proved  so  liable  to  be  injured  in  winter, 


that  their  culture  with  us  has  been  al- 
most abandoned.  Four  years  ago  a 
couple  of  them  were  planted  on  a  piece 
of  rock  work,  and  these  have  escaped 
the  slightest  injury,  even  during  the 
last  severe  winter.  They  make  a 
moderate  growth,  but  it  is  healthy ; 
the  color  is  perfect,  and  they  seem  quite 
at  home.  In  every  other  situation  they 
have  failed.  It  is  because  the  roots 
running  among  the  rocks,  free  from 
stagnant  moisture,  acquire  perfect  ripe- 
ness, as  do  the  whole  plants.  I  believe 
that  by  special  means  of  this  sort  we 
may  do  much  to  increase  the  hardiness 
of  many  beautiful  trees  and  plants  only 
half-hardy.  Much  injury  is  done  in 
city  gardens  by  the  excessive  use  of 
water,  not  only  to  the  lawns,  but  to 
trees  and  plants,  and  to  health  as  well. 
Ripeness,  then,  is  essential  to  hardi- 
ness, is 

THE    SOURCE    OP    HARDINESS, 

and  the  cultivator  should  never  lose 
sight  of  this.  Thanks  to  our  climate, 
it  is  not  so  difficult  to  secure  ripeness 
here  as  it  is  in  some  parts  of  our 
country.  In  readiog  a  report  from 
Minnesota,  a  few  days  ago,  the  writer 
stated  that  they  had  scarcely  any 
autumn,  but  passed  at  once  from  the 
season  of  growth  to  severe  frosts.  Here 
our  autumns  are  splendid,  with  rarely 
frost  enough  to  kill  flowers  until  about 
the  1st  of  November.  The  early  frost 
is  the  exception,  and  it  is  generally  so 
light  as  to  do  little  harm,  so  that  gener- 
ally it  is  our  own  fault  if  our  trees  and 
plants  are  not  well  ripened.  The  gen- 
erally acknowledged  superiority  of  nur- 
sery trees  grown  in  Western  New  York 
is  due  mainly  to  the  perfect  ripeness 
they  acquire.  The  means  to  be  em- 
ployed to  secure  ripeness  and  hardiness 
may  be  very  briefly  summed  up  as  fol- 
lows : — 

First — A  dry  soil,   absolutely  free 
from  stagnant  moisture. 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


159 


Second — Sufficient  fertility  only  to 
produce  a  moderate  and  healthy  growth. 

Third — Such  treatment  of  the  soil  as 
will  encourage  growth  early  in  the 
autumn.  In  the  case  of  tender  plants 
these  precautions  will  be  all  the  more 
necessary. 

Fourth — In  the  case  of  fruit-bearing 
trees  and  plants,  avoid  over-cropping. 


NOTES  ON  NEW  VARIETIES  OF 
POTATOES. 

Lyman  Wall,  of  Webster,  N.  Y., 
writes  to  the  Rural  Home  an  account 
of  the  observations  he  has  made  upon 
the  quality  and  productiveness  of  some 
of  the  new  varieties  of  potatoes.  In 
his  report,  Mr.  Wall  makes  quality  and 
productiveness  the  two  main  consid- 
erations, the  next  thing  being  hardi- 
ness, shape,  size,  color,  etc.     He  says  : 

**  Several  years  ago  I  discarded  the 
Early  Rose,  and  grew  the  Early  Ver- 
mont, for  an  early  potato.  I  think  the 
Vermont  far  preferable  to  the  Rose. 
It  is  more  productive,  less  liable  to 
scab,  full  as  early,  and  of  better  quality. 
Beauty  of  Hebron,  not  quite  as  early 
as  the  Vermont.  Quality  slightly 
inferior.  Have  raised  the  Early  Ohio 
two  years  and  shall  discard  it.  Am 
satisfied  that  in  some  sections  it  is  a 
first-class  early  potato,  but  with  me  it 
is  inclined  to  scab,  and  yields  about  half 
as  many  merchantable  potatoes  as  the 
Vermont. 

"  The  Ontario,  a  new  seedling  origin- 
ated by  H.  H.  Doolittle,  is  the  best 
early  variety  I  am  acquainted  with. 
In  size,  shape,  quality  and  productive- 
ness, it  is  as  near  perfection  as  anything 
yet  introduced. 

"  The  Belle,  a  new  seedling  of  the 
Early  Rose,  is  one  of  the  best  medium 
early  varieties.  Ripens  about  three 
weeks  after  the  Vermont,  is  productive, 
and  one  of  the  best  table  potatoes  I  hare 
ever  eaten. 


"  The  Mammoth  Pearl,  a  large  white 
potato  of  good  quality  and  very  produc- 
tive. With  ordinary  field  culture  it 
produced  this  season,  at  the  rate  of  210 
bushels  per  acre  of  large  fine  potatoes. 

**  The  Magnum  Bonum  is  one  of  the 
best  very  large  potatoes  I  ever  saw. 
Season  about  the  same  as  the  Belle. 
It  is  a  seedling  of  the  White  Peach- 
blow,  which  it  resembles  very  much  in 
shape  and  color.  The  only  objection  is 
deep  eyes  in  the  seed  end,  the  other 
eyes  are  few  and  of  ordinary  depth. 
For  poor  land  I  think  it  preferable  to 
any  other  variety.  Potatoes  invariably 
large.  On  the  poorest  soil  capable  of 
producing  only  one  in  a  hill,  that  one 
will  be  large. 

"  Have  raised  Burbank  Seedling  for 
two  years,  and  shall  discard  it.  During 
four  days'  attendance  at  the  Western 
New  York  Fair,  I  talked  with  several 
hundred  farmers  about  the  different 
varieties  of  potatoes,  and  nine-tenths  of 
them  condemned  the  Burbank.  But  I 
find  no  potato  so  poor  but  some  one 
will  praise  it,  and  none  so  good  but 
some  will  condemn  it. 

"  For  a  late  potato  I  know  of  nothing 
equal  to  the  White  Whipple,  originated 
from  the  Whipple.  No  potato  has 
given  such  universal  satisfaction  to 
customers  as  the  Whipple.  In  spite  of 
its  objectionable  color  it  has  won  favor, 
and  no  potato  is  more  sought  after  in 
the  Rochester  market. 

*'The  White  Whipple  is  equal  in 
every  respect,  and  has  the  advantage  of 
being  white,  very  much  resembling  the 
old  White  Pinkeye.  When  on  exhibi- 
tion at  the  fair  this  fall,  many  old 
farmers  declared  it  to  be  their  old 
favoiite,  the  White  Pinkeye. 

"  We  commence  eating  it  at  digging 
time,  and  eat  nothing  else  till  potatoes 
grow  again.  It  is  not  as  late  as  the 
Peachblow,  but  ripens  before  frost.  I 
planted  half  an  acre  this  season,  the 


160 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


17th  of  June,  and  they  were  ripe  and 
ready  for  digging  the  1st  of  October, 
making  a  very  good  crop  of  fine  large 
potatoes. 

"Wall's  Orange  is  another  new 
potato  originated  by  me  from  the  Whip- 
ple. It  is  of  a  reddish  orange  color ;  in 
shape,  size,  and  productiveness  it  resem- 
bles the  White  Whipple  ;  when  cooked, 
not  quite  so  firm  as  the  Whipple,  but 
dry  and  mealy,  and  of  the  very  best 
quality.  From  25  lbs.  of  seed,  I  this 
year,  with  ordinary  culture,  raised  35 
bushels  of  first-class  potatoes.  For 
quality  and  productiveness  I  know  of 
no  varieties  equalling  the  White  Whip- 
ple and  Wall's  Orange.  They  are  about 
the  strongest  growers  I  ever  saw,  vines 
completely  covering  the  ground,  and  as 
nearly  bug-proof  as  possible.  Growing 
in  my  experimental  field  beside  othei* 
varieties  which  were  bugged  several 
times,  they  took  care  of  themselves,  and 
were  the  last  to  succumb  to  the  drouth. 

"  I  have  a  quantity  of  selected  seed- 
lings, one,  two,  and  three  years  old,  that 
1  shall  thoroughly  test  before  putting 
en  the  market.  My  seedlings  are  from 
seed  balls  of  Whipple  and  White  Whip- 
ple. Among  all  the  varieties  grown 
by  me  for  several  years,  the  Whipple 
-and  their  seedlings  are  the  only  ones 
producing  seed  balls.  Other  varieties 
blossom  freely,  but  fail  to  produce  seed. 
I  have  been  investigating  the  subject 
this  summer,  and  will  give  the  result 
for  what  it  is  worth,  hoping  that  others 
better  qualified  than  I  am  will  give  us 
the  truth  in  the  matter. 

"I  noticed  the  bumble-bees  were 
very  busy  apparently  collecting  honey 
from  the  blossoms  of  the  Whipple,  and 
paying  no  attention  to  the  blossoms  of 
other  varieties  growing  near  them.  I 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  blossoms 
of  the  Whipple  contained  honey,  and 
the  other  varieties  did  not,  and  that  the 
bees  carried  the  pollen  from  flower  to 


flower,  thus  fertilizing  them  and  pro- 
ducing a  large  amount  of  seed.  I  think 
I  could  have  gathei-ed  a  bushel  of  balls 
from  an  acre." 


FASHION  VERSUS  TASTE. 

Single  buds  of  Gen.  Jacqueminot 
Roses  were  sold  on  New  Fear's  Day 
in  New  York  for  from  two  to  four  dol- 
lars, and  even  at  these  extravagant 
prices  the  supply  fell  short  of  the 
demand,  so  that  one  wealthy  young 
gentleman  considered  himself  fortunate 
to  be  able  to  procure  the  last  four  Roses 
of  New  Year's  Day  for  fifty  dollars, 
rather  than  appear  before  his  bride 
without  a  gift  of  Rose-buds. 

Is  this  an  indication  of  an  increasing 
taste  for  flowers  ?  We  think  not,  and 
if  it  were,  it  would  be  but  a  doubtful 
compliment  to  the  aesthetics  of  our 
fashionable  society  if  it  had  required 
all  this  time  to  discover  the  beauties  of 
the  Rose. 

Pleasant  as  is  the  custom  of  sending 
one's  New  Year's  compliments  to  his 
lady  friends  in  the  shape  of  fresh  flowers, 
the  fact  that  this  year  it  cannot  be  done 
in  any  other  form  than  Gen.  Jacque- 
minot Roses  is  no  more  a  sign  of  refined 
taste  or  individual  preference  than  is 
the  wearing  of  one-button  gloves  or  the 
crinoline  so  soon  as  fashion  dictates. 

Yiolets  and  Lilies  of  the  Yalley  are 
also  admissible,  and,  strange  to  say,  a 
bunch  of  Daisies — particularly  when 
they  are  called  "  Paris  Daisies  " — may 
find  an  honored  place  in  the  most 
fashionable  parlors,  while  a  few  years 
ago  the  offering  of  a  bunch  of  Daisies 
to  a  lady  would  have  been  considered 
an  insult.  Is  it  taste  that  rules  the 
queenly  Camellia  and  sweet  Orange 
blossoms  out,  and  Daisies  and  Tulips 
into  fashion  1  Even  the  graceful 
Smilax,  decreed  fashionable  by  the 
whim  of  an  opera  prima  donna,  is  losing 
caste  in  society,  to  be  supplanted  by 


THE   CANADIAN   HOETICULTUEIST. 


161 


Fern  leaves,  which  should  never  have 
been  ruled  out. 

These  various  freaks  in  floral  fashions 
may  atid  something  to  the  stock  of  bo- 
tahical  knowledge  of  our  city  belles,  but 
taste — a  clear  perception  and  apprecia- 
tion of  beauty  and  excellence — is  rarely 
developed  by  fashion,  which  often  takes 
retrograde  steps  and  brings  faulty 
modes  and  ill-shaped  forms  into  com- 
mon use,  which,  by  their  frequent  con- 
tact, rather  dull  the  taste  for  real  art 
and  beauty.  A  fine  taste  is  not  created 
by  a  freak  of  fashion  ;  it  is  either  born 
with  us  or  is  the  result  of  careful  study 
and  high  culture. — American  Garden. 


THE  FARMER'S  FRUIT  GARDEN. 

I  contend  that  every  prosperous 
farmer  owes  it  to  himself  and  to  his 
family  to  supply  his  table  with  all  the 
desirable  and  wholesome  luxuries  which 
his  farm,  under  ordinary  cultivation,  is 
capable  of  producing,  and  to  supply  it 
bountifully,  and  failing  to  do  so  he  fails 
in  his  duty  to  his  family,  and  can  not 
reasonably  expect  his  sons  and  daughters 
to  gi*ow  up  contented  with  their  lot. 
Children  brought  up  on  a  farm  are 
deprived  of  many  privileges  enjoyed  by 
those  brought  up  in  the  city,  and  should 
be  provided  as  compensation  with  those 
which  the  farm  is  capable  of  producing. 
The  farmer's  boy  or  girl,  visiting  town, 
sees  upon  the  green-grocer's  stand 
almost  every  species  of  fruits  and  vege- 
tables, and  know  that  these  desirable 
luxuries  are  grown  on  soil  similar  to 
their  father's,  and  if  they  are  continually 
deprived  of  such  luxuries,  what  wonder 
that  they  are  discontented. 

None  of  the  products  of  the  soil  are 
more  enjoyed  by  children  than  fruit, 
and  there  is  no  portion  of  the  homestead 
farm  that  are  longer  remembered  or 
more  fondly  cherished,  than  the  fruit 
garden.  I  remember,  when  a  mere 
infant,  visiting  an  uncle  at  Red-Hook, 
2 


Duchess  county,  and  the  only  thing 
about  the  place  that  made  a  lasting  im- 
pression on  my  mind  was  a  garden  of 
plum  trees,  loaded  with  luscious  blue, 
red,  and  yellow  plums.  I  pity  the 
farmer's  son  who  grows  to  manhood's 
estate  with  no  such  cherished  spot  to 
chain  him  to  the  parental  home. 

Having  said  so  much  to  prove  the 
value  of  the  fruit-garden  to  the  farmer's 
family,  I  will  say  but  little  about  its 
character.  In  the  first  place,  it  should 
be  ample.  No  farmer  is  so  pinched  for 
room  that  he  can  not  afford  space  for  a 
liberal  fruit  garden.  A  large  garden 
can  be  cultivated  in  less  time  than  a 
small  one,  as  it  affords  room  for  using  a 
team  to  advantage. 

Then  plant  liberally  of  every  desirable 
species,  so  liberally  that  there  will  be  an 
abundant  supply  for  the  family  without 
using  defective  fruit.  A  well-to-do, 
independent  farmer  should  put  no. 
second-class  products  of  the  field,  orchard 
or  garden  upon  his  own  table.  Throw 
wormy  or  rotten  fruit  to  the  pigs,  but 
never  offer  it  to  your  children 

Plant  enough  of  the  hardy,  vigorous, 
productive  varieties  of  the  various 
species  to  insure  a  supply  in  unfavorable 
seasons,  and  then  plant  some  of  th» 
higher-flavored,  that  require  more  nurs- 
ing, so  that  you  may  have  some  of  the 
best.  I  would  say,  plant  none  but  those 
of  highest  quality,  but  should  that  be 
done,  unless  the  farmer  is  an  expert, 
there  would  be  seasons  when  there 
would  be  no  fruit,  or  at  leiist  an  insufli- 
cient  supply. 

Plant  in  tJhe  fruit  garden,  peare, 
peaches,  plums,  apricots,  cherries,, 
quinces,  grapes,  gooseberries,  currants^ 
black-berries,  raspberries,  and  straw- 
beri'ies.  Cultivate  the  surface  well 
until  the  trees  are  well  in  bearing,  and 
thou  you  may  cease  ploughing  the  treesj. 
if  you  choose,  but  never  cease  to  manure 
them.    The  small  fruits,  of  course,  must 


162 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


always  be  cultivated.  A  bearing  fruit- 
garden  would  afford  a  more  delightful 
promenade  for  the  family,  if  kept  in 
grass,  closely  cut,  but  it  would  soon 
cease  to  be  a  pleasant  resort  if  allowed 
to  decline  in  fertility,  and  consequently 
in  the  quality  of  its  fruit. — American 
Rural  Home. 


HARDY  SHRUBS. 

BY   AXTOINE  WINTZER,    WEST   GROVE,   PA. 

Persons  who  have  places  in  the  coun- 
try sometimes  desire  to  plant  a  few 
shrubs  that  will  thrive  and  bloom  with- 
out too  much  nursing.  To  assist  them 
in  their  efforts,  I  will  give  a  list  and 
description  of  about  a  dozen  of  the  most 
desirable  varieties  for  general  culture. 

In  the  first  place  a  few  suggestions 
about  the  planting  and  treatment  of 
hardy  shrubs  may  not  be  amiss.  They 
can  be  planted  at  any  time  from  October 
to  May,  when  the  gi'ound  is  not  frozen 
or  is  not  too  wet. 

Now  allow  me  to  say  a  few  words 
about  the  pruning  of  shrubs.  This  is 
a  very  simple  affair.  All  shrubs  that 
bloom  in  spring,  or  early  summer, 
should  not  be  pruned  in  winter  or  spring 
unless  they  have  been  newly  planted  ; 
in  this  case  they  should  have  their  tops 
shortened.  When  shrubs  grow  too 
many  shoots,  a  number  of  them  should 
be  cut  out  entirely  in  February  or 
March.  If  they  grow  too  tall  the 
tops  can  be  clipped  in  summer,  after 
the  plants  are  through  blooming  for  the 
season.  But  Altheas  and  Hydrangea 
Grandijlora  should  always  be  cut  back 
in  winter  or  early  spring,  because  they 
bloom  in  late  summer  on  the  young 
shoots,  while  the  Spireas,  JDeutzias, 
Weigelas,  and  all  shrubs  that  bloom  in 
May  or  June,  must  have  shoots  of  the 
5past  season's  growth  to  produce  their 
flowers. 

Weigela  Rosea. — This  beautiful  Chi- 
nese shnib  is  one  of  the  most  effective 


plants  in  the  lawn.  It  produces  its 
beautiful  rose-colored  flowers  in  June 
in  the  greatest  abundance.  The  plant 
grows  to  the  height  of  six  or  eight  feet, 
and  will  thrive  in  any  soil. 

Weigela  Nana  Variegata. — This  is 
another  fine  plant.  It  is  desirable  both 
for  its  flowers  and  its  beautiful  foliage, 
which  is  green  in  the  centre  and  white 
on  the  outside  of  the  leaf,  and  retains 
its  distinct  color  all  summer.  The 
flowers  are  a  beautiful  blush  in  color, 
and  it  would  be  hard  to  find  a  more 
charming  looking  plant  than  this  when 
in  full  bloom. 

Hydrangea  Grandijlora. — This  fine 
shrub  was  introduced  into  this  country 
from  Japan.  It  is  as  hardy  as  an  oak. 
It  begins  to  bloom  in  this  section  (lati- 
tude of  Philadelphia)  about  the  latter 
part  of  July,  and  the  flowers  remain  on 
the  plant  until  frost.  When  the  flowers 
first  open  they  are  pure  white  ;  after  a 
few  weeks  they  become  rose-tinted. 
They  are  produced  on  the  ends  of  the 
young  shoots  in  large  panicles,  which 
are  a  foot  or  more  in  length,  and  good 
bushes  will  grow  from  50  to  150  of 
these  immense  heads.  This  plant  should 
be  trimmed  every  year,  at  any  time 
from  November  to  April.  If  you  want 
large  flowers,  prune  sharp ;  if  smaller 
bloom  is  preferred,  prune  light.  Plant 
it  on  the  lawn  in  a  sunny  place  (for 
this  variety  does  not  require  shade), 
keep  the  sod  from  growing  around  the 
roots,  and  give  it  a  surface  dressing  of 
stable  manure  in  the  fall,  and  you  will 
have  a  plant  of  which  you  will  be 
proud.  It  will  flourish  for  a  lifetime 
with  decent  treatment.  It  will  grow 
from  seven  to  eight  feet  high. 

Viburnum  Plicatum. — This  is  a  beau- 
tiful shrub  of  the  Snowball  family.  It 
produces  its  flowers  in  pure  white 
bunches  like  the  old  variety,  but  the 
plant  has  firmer  and  thicker  foliage  and 
a  more  erect  habit  of  growth.  It  blooms 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


163 


in  spring,  and  requires  but  little  prun- 
ing at  any  time. 

Spirea  Reevesii. — A  fine  plant  for  the 
lawn.  The  bush,  when  in  bloom,  is 
charming  in  the  spring  of  the  year, 
when  it  is  one  mass  of  white.  The 
leaves  are  small,  and  the  plant  has  a 
half-drooping  habit,  which  gives  it  a 
graceful  appearance. 

Spirea  Thunbergia. — One  of  the  most 
graceful  hardy  plants  we  have.  Pro- 
duces small  white  flowera  early  in  the 
spring.  The  foliage  is  very  small,  and 
the  bush  remains  green  until  late  in  the 
fall. 

Cydonia  Japonica  (Japan  Quince). 
— This  is  a  very  showy  bush  early  in 
the  spring,  when  it  is  covered  with  its 
bright  scarlet  blossoms.  It  bears  clip- 
ping, and  can  be  kept  in  any  desired 
form ;  it  also  makes  a  very  nice  hedge. 
There  is  also  a  light  colored  variety, 
which  is  fine  when  planted  in  contrast 
with  this. 

Deutzia  Crenata. — This  is  one  of  the 
best  Deutzias.  Flowers  double,  rose- 
colored,  and  produced  in  great  num- 
bers. It  blooms  in  June.  The  bush 
grows  four  to  six  feet  high,  and  will  do 
well  in  any  soil. 

Deutzia  Gracilis. — This  is  a  more 
dwarf-growing  variety  than  the  pre- 
ceding. Flowers  pure  white,  single. 
A  nice  plant  to  force  for  winter  flowers. 

Hibiscus  Purpurea  Pleno  (Purple 
Althea).  —  This  well-known  shrub 
blooms  in  August.  Altheas  are  fine 
plants  when  well  kept,  and  all  that  is 
necessary  to  keep  them  in  good  condi- 
tion is  to  clip  them  back  every  fall  or 
winter.  This  will  not  affect  their  bloom, 
as  they  flower  on  the  young  wood. 
There  are  several  good  varieties  beside 
the  above,  such  as  Double  Rose,  Car- 
nation Striped,  Double  White,  Varie- 
gated Leaved,  and  several  others.  They 
can  be  used  as  hedge  plants  or  for  ornar 
menta. 


Syringa  Vulgaris  (the  common  pur- 
ple Lilac). — A  list  of  hardy  shrubs 
would  hardly  be  complete  without  this 
old  favorite.  There  are  several  newer 
varieties,  but  the  old  purple  is  as  good 
as  any.  It  thrives  in  any  soil,  and  the 
plant  requires  no  pruning — only  an 
occasional  thinning  out  of  surplus 
shoots. 

Philadelphus  Coronarius  Nana 
(Dwarf  Mock  Orange). — This  is  worthy 
of  a  place  in  any  lawn.  The  plant 
blooms  in  late  spring.  The  flowers  are 
pure  waxy  white  and  delightfully  fra- 
grant. The  bush  grows  nice  and  com- 
pact. 

Berberis Purpurea  (Purple Barberry). 
— This  is  a  good  plant  for  the  lawn,  and 
it  will  also  make  a  fine  hedge.  Its 
flowers  are  yellow,  produced  in  spring, 
but  its  beauty  is  in  the  rich  purple 
foliage,  which  remains  on  the  plant 
until  late  in  the  fall.  It  should  be 
clipped  every  year  in  fall  or  winter. 

The  above  make  a  small  collection  of 
hardy  shrubs  that  will  do  well  in  any 
soil  that  will  grow  grass,  and  can  be 
bought  at  a  reasonable  figure  from  any 
good  nurseryman. — Farm  and  Garden. 


Celery. — Celery  is  a  vegetable  which 
apparently  receives  but  little  attention 
from  the  public,  and  still  the  trade  in  this 
article  amounts  annually  to  many  thou- 
sands of  dollars.  While  many  use  it  for 
its  medicinal  qualities,  its  well-known 
effect  on  the  nervous  system  causing  it  to 
be  highly  prized,  others  and  by  far  the 
majority  of  consumers  consider  it  a  luxury, 
fit  only  for  the  wealthy.  Few  are  aware 
that  fully  one-third  of  the  celery  of  com- 
merce is  thrown  away  as  useless.  All  the 
coarser  parts — the  outside  stalks  and  the 
greener  portion  of  the  stock — all,  in  fact, 
that  is  unfit  for  the  celery  glass,  can  be 
utilized  by  cutting  into  short  pieces,  cook- 
ing and  serving  in  precisely  the  same 
manner  as  asparagus.  All  housekeepers 
vho  try  it  never  alter  waste  any  of  their 
celery. 


164: 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


PERSIAN  CHAMOMILE  OR  INSECT 
POWDER. 

"  How  is  the  Persian  insect  powder 
used  to  destroy  flies,  mosquitoes,  bed 
bugs,  etc.  ?  I  have  tried  burning  some 
but  the  fumes  did  not  kill   flies." 

A  teaspoonfiil  oipure  "  Persian  Cha- 
momile "  heaped  in   a  little   cone   and 
burned  in  a  medium  sized  room,  that  is 
not  ventilated  during  the  burning,  will 
kill  every  fly  in  it.     If  it  fails  to  do 
this  the  powder  is  not  genuine.     To 
test  its  purity,  put  a  little  in  a  bottle 
with  a  dozen  flies  ;  when  the  bottle  is 
closed  they  will  go  into  spasms  and  die 
almost  instantly  if  the  drug  is  what  it 
should  be.     "  Persian  Insect  Powder," 
like  other  things,  is  sometimes  adulter- 
ated ;  it  will  also  lose  its  strength  if  kept 
loose  too  long.     Druggists  mix  it  with 
other  ingredients  for  various  purposes. 
Borax    is   a   valuable   addition   when 
cockroaches  are  to  be  disposed  of,  but 
for  flies,  mosquitoes,  and  bed  bugs,  the 
pure   powder  must  be  used.     It  costs 
from  seventy  to  eighty  cents  a  pound, 
has  a  bright,  buff  color,  is  light,  bums 
readily,  and  gives  a  rather  pleasant  tea- 
like fragrance.    It  is  the  powdered  leaf 
of  a  harmless  flower  growing  in  Cau- 
casian Asia,  where  for  centuries  it  has 
been  used  to  keep  the  insect  world  in 
subjection.     It  acts  on  their  breathing 
apparatus,  evidently  producing  vertigo, 
respiratory  spasms  and  paralysis,  but  is 
p  irfectly  harmless  and  not  particularly 
disagreeable    to    human    beings.       Of 
course  a  little  curl  of  blue  smoke  can't 
be  expected  to  kill  the  flies  over  all 
creation  or  even  in  a  large  airy  space. 
It  will  weaken  the  ambition  of  all  those 
which  come  within  its  influence,  but  to 
produce  death  the  effect  must  be  concen- 
trated. 

In  rooms  where  windows  and  doors 
are  opened  the  burning  powder  will 
keep  out  unwelcome  insect  intruders. 
In  a  house  protected  by  screens,  the 


flies  already  in  may  be  most  convenient- 
ly disposed  of  by  using  the  dry  powder 
with  an  insect  gun,  which  costs  about 
twenty-five  cents.  Puff  the  powder 
into  a  close,  warm  room,  until  the  air 
is  filled  with  it,  then  shut  the  door  and 
return  in  half  an  hour.  If  every  fly  in 
it  is  not  either  dead  or  dying,  throw 
away  your  powder  and  send  to  a  reliable 
dealer  for  that  which  is  good.  Pure 
"  Persian  Insect  Powder "  never  fails 
in  its  effect. 

For  bed  bugs  puff  the  powder  with 
the  insect  gun  into  all  the  cracks  and 
crevices  where  such  vermin  harbor ; 
leave  the  room  undisturbed  for  a  few 
hours,  closely  shut  meanwhile,  they 
will  walk  out  and  surrender  at  dis- 
cretion ;  a  semi-annual  application  will 
prevent  all  further  trouble. 

Dust  your  house  plants,  your  pet  dog 
and  your  poultry  with  insect  powder, 
but  don't  undertake  to  kill  spiders  or 
you  will  be  disappointed. — Prairie 
Farmer.' 


CATCHING  CURCULIOS. 
It  is  now  over  fifty  years  since  I  first 
learned  when  a  boy  to  catch  curculios 
by  jarring  on  the  spread  sheet,  and  since 
that  I  have  tried  several  modifications. 
Although  I  have  published  the  mode 
which  answers  best,  I  find  some  of  our 
best  and  most  intelligent  fruit  growers 
still  pursue  old  and  inefficient  means. 
Stout  muslin  about  6  by  7  feet  is  stiff- 
ened with  light  rods  along  the  opposite 
edges,  and  these  are  kept  apart  with  a 
cross-rod  at  the  middle.  This  cross-rod 
is  a  little  shorter  than  the  width  of  the 
muslin,  so  as  to  leave  the  muslin  a  little 
slack  and  concave  to  hold  the  insects. 
Iron  plugs  are  set  in  the  trees,  if  small, 
or  in  the  larger  limbs  if  large,  on  which 
a  single  blow  with  an  axe  brings  down 
every  beetle.  This  is  incomparably 
better  than  any  padded  mallet,  or  any 
other  imperfect  pounding.    The  operator 


)IAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


165 


carries  the  sheet  on  his  left  arm,  first  to 
one  side  of  the  treeand  then  to  the  other ; 
never  has  to  stop,  works  rapidly  and  it 
costs  almost  nothing  to  keep  the  trees 
clear. — John  J.  Thomas,  in  Green's 
Fruit  Grower. 


NEW  VARIETIES  OF  GRAPES. 

Several  persons  deserve  much  praise 
for  their  success  in  the  production  of 
new  varieties  of  grapes.  Years  ago  I 
fully  published  my  observations  on  the 
thirty-nine  varieties  produced  by  Mr. 
Rogers,  of  Salem,  Mass.  And  what  I 
said  of  them  has  been  fully  sustained. 
They  are  such  rampant  growers,  so 
hardy,  that  the  continent  over  they  are 
known  and  valued.  I  would  as  soon 
part  with  my  fruit-yard  as  let  go 
Rogers'  No.  3,  that  feasts  me  every 
year ;  or  No.  13,  like  No.  3,  but  a  little 
later  ;  or  No.  15,  that  honored  num- 
ber. Another  successful  man  has  come 
on  the  field  with  newer  varieties  that 
will  satisfy  those  who  dislike  the 
stronger  flavors  of  the  Rogers.  It  is 
James  H.  Ricketts,  of  Newburgh,  N. 
Y.,  who  presents  us  with  Lady  Wash- 
ington, Jefferson,  Naomi  and  Bacchus. 
These  are  probably  valuable  in  about 
the  order  I  have  placed  them. 

The  Lady  Washington,  when  grown 
for  agricultural  fairs,  is  a  grape  three- 
quartere  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  white, 
with  a  rusty  cheek,  somewhat  trans- 
parent, with  a  golden  greenish  tint ; 
bunch  two-shouldered,  six  or  seven 
inches  long  by  five  inches  through  the 
shoulder.  As  ordinarily  grown  it 
should  be  a  third  less  in  size,  and 
yet  be  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
American  varieties,  equalling  European 
grapes  in  size  and  appearance.  So  far 
its  flavor  is  unexceptionable.  The 
Jefferson  is  a  red  grape,  claimed  to  be 
a  cross  of  Concord  and  lona,  having  the 
form  of  lona,  and  the  hardiness  of  the 
Concord.     A  full-grown  typical  bunch 


is  six  inches  long  by  six  inches  through 
its  two  shoulders ;  berries  about  five- 
eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  As 
ordinarily  gi'own  it  should  be  half  an 
inch  in  diameter,  and  five  inches  long 
and  wide  in  the  bunch,  or  about  equal 
to  bunch  and  berry  of  the  Isabella.  In 
flavor  it  is  much  like  lona.  Those  who 
like  the  somewhat  indefinite  sweetness 
of  Delaware  and  lona,  as  compared 
with  the  higher  flavored  American 
grapes,  ought  to  be  satisfied  with  this, 
for  it  is  the  popular  taste  to  eat  such 
grapes. 

Next  I  name  the  Naomi,  because  I 
believe  it  is  a  gi-ape  that  will  fully 
please  me.  I  do  not  completely  fancy 
a  mere  sweet  bag  of  a  grape,  and  as 
this  is  a  hybrid  of  the  Muscats  and 
Clinton,  it  has  shape  and  flavor  enough. 
Mr.  Vick  says  :  "  I  have  fruited  it 
about  ten  years,  and  pronounce  it  one 
of  the  most  magnificent  grapes  for  the 
table  that  ever  grew."  It  is  a  white 
grape,  berry  medium,  oval,  greenish 
yellow,  ruby  cheek,  in  a  large  shouldered 
bunch.  I  have  not  eaten  it,  and  hence 
can  only  say  that  it  is  much  praised  by 
those  who  have  seen  and  tasted  it. 
The  Bacchus  is  a  seedling  of  the 
Clinton.  The  Clinton  is  not  a  favorite 
of  mine,  though  it  is  of  most  people, 
but  it  is  hardy  and  productive.  The 
Bacchus  is  a  peculiar  shaped  grape  in 
its  bunch,  reminding  me  of  an  English 
grape  called  the  Eldred ;  that  is,  the 
bunch  is  long,  and  nearly  as  large  at 
the  bottom  as  at  its  slightly  shouldered 
top,  measuring,  when  not  overgrown, 
five  or  five  and  a  half  inches  long  by 
two  and  a  half  inches  at  top  and  two 
inches  at  the  bottom.  This  is  a  small- 
ish bunch.  The  Eldred  is  similar  in 
shape,  and  nine  to  eleven  inches  long. 
The  flavor  of  the  Bacchus  is  acid  and 
Clinton-like.  I  am  now  no  believer  in 
the  use  of  wine  or  other  alcoholic 
liquors,  and  I  repent  of  all  I  ever  wrote 
and    said    or  did  for    wine  making. 


166 


THE    CANADIAN    H0ETICULTUBI6T. 


Hence  I  have  nothing  to  say  of  its  wine 
qualities,  but  Bacchus  is  a  fair  table 
grape. 

As  I  close  this  article,  I  can  but 
invite  the  grape-lover  to  the  new  feast 
of  grapes  so  amply  provided  for  him. 
Certainly  they  claim  a  fair  trial,  and  if 
they  have  won  their  high  esteem,  in 
the  face  of  a  taste  educated  by  so  many 
years  of  excellent  kinds,  they  are  a  step 
in  the  onward,  creditable  to  their 
originator,  and  one  that  no  grape-grower 
can  neglect. — S.  J.  Parker,  M.D.,  in 
the  Country  Gentleman. 


THE  ONTARIO  POTATOE. 

This  potato  originated  with  H.  H. 
Doolittle,  the  originator  of  the  Doolittle 
raspberry.  We  have  tested  it  thorough- 
ly, and  find  it  all  he  claims  below.  He 
says  :  "  The  smoothness  or  shallowness 
of  eyes  is  the  first  striking  peculiarity. 
Its  shape  is  flat  and  oblong.  Never 
grows  together  or  knots  up  or  deforms. 
Its  skin  and  flesh  are  white,  cooks  dry, 
but  avoids  the  fault  of  all  shelling  off 
and  falling  to  pieces  when  boiled,  and 
its  quality  such  that  the  usual  expres- 
sion is,  "The  best  I  ever  ate."  In 
size,  it  reaches  to  IJ  pounds,  but  the 
largest  are  never  deformed. 

As  to  earliness,  one  testifies  to  plant- 
ing "  17th  day  of  May,  and  commenced 
eating  dry  ripe  potatoes  from  them  the 
3rd  of  July  and  a  good  yield."  One 
calls  them  two  weeks  and  another  ten 
days  earlier  than  the  Rose.  One's 
enthusiasm  may  lead  him  to  mistake 
the  effects  of  blight  or  some  local  cause 
in  ripening  a  hill  or  a  rod  square  sev- 
eral days  in  advance  But  my  own 
testimony  is  that  having  planted  this 
seedling  for  four  years  alongside  of  the 
Early  Rose  and  Extra  Early  Vermont, 
the  whole  plat  of  the  Ontario  shows  a 
general  earlier  deadening  of  the  tops, 
so  as  to  be  noticed  from  a  distance. 

"With  this  earliness  it  combines  the 


best  keeping  qualities  for  summer  use. 
Many  think  that  this  heaviness  and 
solidity  as  an  old  potato  is  sufficient  to 
commend  its  universal  growth. 

Yield. — From  the  tiny  seed  five  years 
ago  it  has  grown  yearly  in  size  and 
yield  till  this  year  on  one-fourth  of  an 
acre  of  ordinary  soil,  without  manure 
this  year  or  last,  or  fertilizei'S  of  any 
kind,  there  were  ninety-five  bushels, 
taking  about  thirteen  hills  to  make  a 
bushel — showing  a  native  vigor  and 
capacity  of  yield  unsurpassed  in  late 
years. — Green's  Fruit  Grower. 


TREES  IN  CITIES. 

An  interesting  paper  has  been  recently 
read  by  Dr.  Phene  at  Edinburgh  on  the 
benefits  to  be  derived  from  planting 
trees  in  cities.  Among  the  beneficial 
results  to  be  attained  are,  he  stated,  the 
relief  to  the  optic  nerve  through  the  eye 
resting  on  objects  of  a  green  color.  Just 
that  which  is  efiected  by  the  use  of  green 
or  blue  glasses  in  strengthening  and 
sustaining  the  power  of  sight  is  attained, 
or,  at  any  rate  much  aided,  by  the 
presence  of  green  in  nature ;  and  in 
streets  the  only  method  to  produce  this 
result  is  by  planting  trees.  It  was 
pointed  out  by  the  author  that  wherever 
opportunity  exists  nature  provides  green 
and  blue  (the  latter  being  the  same  color 
minus  the  presence  of  the  yellow)  and 
that  the  absence  of  color  produces  snow 
blindness,  and  in  tropical  calms,  where 
the  ocean  presents  only  a  white  reflected 
light  from  a  uniform  glassy  surface, 
reduced  optical  power  soon  follows  a 
long  continuance  of  the  absence  of  blue 
color,  which  becomes  immediately  appa- 
rent on  motion  of  the  waves.  So  in  the 
streets,  to  the  occupants  of  houses 
having  a  northern  aspect,  the  glare  of 
the  reflected  light  is  injurious ;  but  the 
effect  would  be  much  modified  by  the 
coolness  to  the  eye,  produced  by  the 
green  trees.    In  ancient  surgery,  persons 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


167 


of  weak  or  declining  sight  were  advised 
to  look  at  the  emerald.  In  the  old  style 
of  building,  the  streets  being  narrow, 
were  both  cooler,  from  the  sun  not  being 
able  to  penetrate  them  with  direct  rays, 
and  less  subject  to  noxious  exhalations 
from  the  purifying  effect  of  the  search- 
ing air  to  which  the  narrow  streets  were 
subjected,  so  that  while  there  was  no 
space  for  trees,  there  was  also  less 
necessity.  Wide  streets,  on  the  con- 
trary, are  hotter,  and  require  the  shade 
of  trees  to  cool  them ;  and,  as  is  the  case 
in  London,  which  has  so  far  done  without 
trees  in  its  streets,  it  was  pointed  out 
that  not  only  the  compulsory  width  of 
modern  streets,  but  also  the  enormous 
increase  in  metropolitan  buildings  render 
every  sanitary  question  one  of  impor- 
tance ;  and  the  chemical  properties  of 
trees,  as  shown  by  experiment,  give  an 
important  standing,  irrespective  of 
ornament  or  the  pleasure  they  j)roduce. 
Some  of  Dr.  Phene's  experiments  on 
this  subject  have  extended  over  a  period 
of  30  years,  and  he  it  was  who  first  tried 
the  planting  of  trees  in  the  streets  of 
London.  Since  the  reading  of  a  former 
paper  by  him  at  Manchester,  where  the 
importance  of  the  subject  was  pointed 
out,  a  number  of  streets  in  wealthy 
localities  have  been  planted,  and  even 
Trafalgar  Square,  in  the  heart  of  the 
metropolis. — Michigan  Farmer. 

WHITEWASHING  TREES. 

Do  not  be  afraid  to  whitewasli  fruit 
trees  of  all  kinds.  It  looks  neat,  fresh 
and  nice  ;  and  it  not  only  destroys  in- 
sects and  their  eggs,  but  the  white  coat 
on  the  body  of  the  tree  reflects  the  heat 
and  keeps  the  inner  bark  and  sap  vessels 
from  being  scalded  and  blighted  by  the 
rays  of  the  sun.  Eveiy  fruit  grower 
knows  by  experience  how  injurious  the 
blaze  of  the  sun  is  to  the  limbs  and 
trunk  of  a  tree. 

A  thick  coat  of  whitewash  will  be 


much  better  protection  than  straw, 
boards  or  other  materials,  under  which 
mice  and  bugs  and  worms  can  harbor. 
These  destructive  pests  can  be  completely 
kept  away  by  using  sulphur  in  the 
whitewash.  The  way  to  mix  it  is  to 
take  for  each  peck  of  lime  four  pounds 
of  flour  of  sulphur.  Mix  the  lime  and 
sulphur  together  in  a  barrel  and  pour 
in  a  bucketful  of  hot  water.  Cover  the 
top  of  barrel  while  the  lime  is  slacking, 
so  as  to  retain  all  the  fumes  of  the  sul- 
phur. "When  slacked  add  sufficient 
water  to  make  a  thin  whitewash.  Put 
this  wash  on  the  trees  with  a  broom  or 
a  brush,  taking  care  to  keep  the  sulphur 
well  stirred  up,  as  it  will  be  found  to 
float  like  a  scum  of  oil  on  the  surface 
of  the  water. 

This  lime  and  sulphur  wash  is  good 
for  grape  vines  and  posts  and  stakes  in 
the  vineyard.  When  properly  made 
and  put  on  a  strong  smell  of  sulphur 
will  be  detected  several  leet  from  the 
trees  and  vines  during  the  whole  sum- 
mer. These  fumes  are  caused  by  the 
slow  combustion  or  oxidation  of  the 
sulphur  when  sulphurous  acid  gas  is 
formed,  which  is  certain  death  to  all 
the  low  order  of  animal  and  vegetable 
life.  This  oxidizing  action  of  sulphur 
is  the  reason  why  it  is  used  to  dust 
grape  berries  and  leaves  to  check  the 
spread  of  oidium,  mildew,  grape  rot 
and  other  fungoid  diseases,  because  as 
soon  as  the  sulphurous  oxide  gas  is 
formed  and  pervades  the  surrounding 
atmosphere,  all  these  fungus  giowths 
are  instantly  killed.  So,  too,  would  be 
all  insect  life,  and  on  a  large  scale,  so, 
too,  would  be  all  animal  life. 

The  use  of  sulphur  as  herein  recom- 
mended, in  combination  with  lime,  in 
a  whitewash,  has  been  found  eflicient 
and  valuable  by  several  who  have  tried 
it ;  it  is  hoped  it  will  be  more  generally 
adopted  by  all  orchardists  and  grape 
growers. — Farmers'  Home  Journal. 


168 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  PLANTING  OF  THE  APPLE 
TREE. 

WM.   CULLEN  BRYANT. 

Come,  let  us  plant  the  apple-tree, 
Cleave  the  tough  green  sward  with  the  spade  : 
Wide  let  its  hollow  bed  be  made ; 
There  gently  lay  the  roots,  and  there 
Sift  the  dark  mold  with  kindly  care, 

And  press  it  o'er  them  tenderly  ; 
As  'round  the  sleeping  infant's  feet 
We  softly  fold  the  cradle-sheet, 

So  plant  we  the  apple-tree. 

What  plant  we  in  this  apple-tree  ? 
Buds,  which  the  breath  of  summer  days 
Shall  lengthen  into  leafy  sprays  ; 
Boughs,  where  the  thrush,  with  crimson  breast, 
Shall  haunt  and  sing,  and  hide  her  nest ; 

We  plant  upon  the  sunny  lea 
A  shadow  for  the  noontide  hour, 
A  shelter  from  the  summer  shower. 

When  we  plant  the  apple-tree. 

What  plant  we  in  this  apple-tree  ? 
Sweets  for  a  hundred  flowery  springs 
To  load  the  May-wind's  restless  wings, 
When,  from  the  orchard  row,  he  pours 
Its  fragrance  through  our  open  doors  ; 

A  world  of  blossoms  for  the  bee, 
Flowers  for  the  sick  girl's  silent  room. 
For  the  glad  infant  sprigs  of  bloom. 

We  plant  with  the  apple-tree. 

What  plant  we  in  this  apple-tree  ? 
Fruits  that  shall  swell  in  sunny  June, 
And  redden  in  the  August  noon. 
And  drop,  when  gentle  airs  come  by, 
That  tan  the  blue  Se|ttember  sky  ; 

While  children  come  with  cries  of  glee. 
And  seek  them  where  the  fragrant  grass 
Betrays  their  bed  to  those  who  pass, 

At  the  foot  of  the  apple-tree. 

And,  when  above  this  apple-tree, 
The  winter  stars  are  glittering  bright. 
And  winds  go  howling  through  the  night, 
Girls  whose  young  eyes  o'erflow  with  mirth 
Shall  peal  its  fruit  by  cottage-hearth. 

And  guests  in  prouder  homes  shall  see, 
Heaped  with  the  grape  of  Cintra's  vine. 
And  golden  orange  of  the  line, 

The  fruit  of  the  apple-tree. 


Floricultural. — Every  garden  should 
have  a  clump  of  lilies.  They  are  easily 
cultivated,  and  require  but  little  atten- 
tion. The  bulbs  should  be  planted  five 
or  six  inches  deep.  In  fall,  cover  them 
with  coarse  manure.  The  following  are 
desirable  varieties  :  Auratum,  the  famous 
gold-banded  lily  from  Japan,  which  only 
a  few  years  ago  sold  at  $5  each  ;  Candi- 
dum,  the  old,  common  white,  but  still 
one  of  the  best ;  Brownii,  trumpet-shaped, 
rich  purple  on  the  outside,  cream-white 
within  ;  Lancifolium  album,  white  ;  Ru- 
hrum,  white  and  red  ;  and  Eximium,  large 
wliite  flower  of  exquisite  shape. — Libby's 
Flower  Garden. 


Horticultural  Notes. — A  vineyard  of 
50  acres  in  New  Jersey,  in  1880,  market- 
ed 80  tons  of  grapes,  and  in  1881  a  larger 
amount.  Estimating  the  grapes  to  be 
worth  three  cents  per  pound  at  the  vine- 
yard, the  income  from  the  150,000  pounds 
would  be  $4,500,  or  $96  per  acre,  with 
less  than  half  the  labor  required  to  grow 
an  acre  of  wheat  or  com. 

Proportion  of  Farmers. — The  last 
report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture 
shows  that  7,600,000  persons  in  the  United 
States  are  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. The  total  value  of  farms  and  farm 
implements  is  $13,461,200,438,  or  two- 
thirds  of  the  productive  wealth  of  the 
nation.  The  value  of  farm  products  and 
live  stock  for  1878  was  $3,000,000,000 
against  $2,800,000,000  of  mining  and 
manufacturing  products.  Thus  it  appears 
that  only  a  majority  of  the  adult  popula- 
tion of  the  United  States  is  engaged  in 
agriculture,  but  more  than  one-half  the 
wealth  of  the  Union  is  invested  in  that 
industry. 

Paper  Bags  for  Grapes. — Having 
read  with  considerable  interest  the  writ- 
ings of  horticulturists  in  reference  to 
protecting  grapes  with  bags  while  young, 
I  tried  the  experiment.  Having  less  than 
two  dozen  young  vines,  I  shall  say  no- 
thing of  the  cost  or  trouble  of  bagging 
grapes.  My  vines  are  rather  close  to  the 
hen-yard,  and  I  have  always  had  trouble 
in  this  direction.  The  hens  have  inva- 
riably destroyed  all  the  grapes  before 
they  were  quite  ripe,  and  thus  caused  me 
some  annoyance.  I  saved  all  the  paper 
bags  that  came  into  the  house,  and  after 
the  grapes  were  formed  I  commenced  bag- 
ging them,  and  kept  at  it  until  they  were 
almost  full  grown.  Bagging  may  not  be 
an  effectual  remedy  for  all  the  other  ills 
which  grape  flesh  is  heir  to,  but  I  have 
found  it  a  perfect  remedy  for  all  inter- 
ference on  the  part  of  poultry.  I  believe 
that  grapes  will  ripen  just  as  well,  if  not 
better,  in  strong  paper  bags  as  otherwise. 
They  will  ripen  as  evenly,  and  if  care- 
fully handled  will  retain  the  same  beauti- 
ful bloom,  which  is  the  greatest  charm  of 
a  table  grape.  I  have  grapes  growing  in 
bags,  and  not  bagged  at  all,  upon  the 
same  vine.  I  am  satisfied  that  it  is  a  good 
thing. — F.  K.  M.,  in  Country  Gentleman. 


PRINTED  AT  THE  STEAM  PRESS  E8TAUUSBMENT  OF  COPP,  CLARK  k  CO.,  COLBORȣ  STREET,  TORONTO. 


BRETT     LITHO.  CC.   N    Y 


THE 


VOL.  v.] 


AUGUST,  1882. 


[No.  8. 


THE    BALSAM. 


The  beautiful  colored  plate  which 
adonis  this  August  number  will  illus- 
trate much  better  than  any  description 
the  improvement  that  has  been  made 
in  the  form  and  coloring  of  this  beau- 
tiful flower. 

It  is  a  tender  annual ;  hence  in  our 
climate  it  is  desirable  to  get  the  plants 
well  started  in  the  house  or  in  a  frame, 
so  that  they  can  be  planted  in  the  open 
border  when  all  danger  from  late 
frosts  is  over,  and  come  into  bloom 
early  enough  to  enable  us  to  enjoy 
their  flowers  before  the  autumn  frosts 
come  and  ruin  their  beauty.  As  soon 
as  the  plants  are  up  and  nicely  started, 
they  should  be  transplanted  either  into 
small  pots  or  into  the  frame,  and  as  soon 
as  the  roots  fill  the  pots  be  shifted  into 
larger  pots,  or,  if  set  out  in  the  frame, 
moved  as  often  as  they  begin  to  become 
crowded.  The  soil  should  be  made 
light  and  rich,  kept  free  from  weeds, 
and  frequently  stirred,  to  secure  a 
strong,  healthy  growth  and  abundant 
bloom.  They  may  be  flowered  in  pots 
if  desired,  and  grown  in  this  way  they 
make  handsome  window  plants  or  or- 
naments for   the  verandah.     Our  hot 


summer  weather  is  much  better  suited 
to  the  cultivation  of  Uiis  popular  flower 
than  the  cool,  moist  climate  of  Eng- 
land, so  that  with  suitable  soil  and 
little  care  we  can  grow  them  in  the 
greatest  perfection. 

The  plants  can  be  pruned  to  any  de- 
sired form,  either  to  a  single,  straight 
stalk,  or  with  three  or  four  branches. 
Sometimes  they  incline  to  throw  out 
so  many  branches  that  if  all  are  al- 
lowed to  grow  the  flowers  would  be 
hidden.  It  is  better  to  cut  away  the 
suj)erfluous  branches  as  they  start  into 
growth,  and  leave  only  enough  to  dis- 
play the  flowei*s  to  the  best  advantage. 
Thus  grown,  the  plant,  when  in  full 
bloom,  is  in  itself  a  beautiful  bouquet. 
The  cut  blooms  show  to  best  advantage 
when  arranged  in  a  saucer  of  water,  or 
of  moistened  sand,  and  in  this  way 
make  an  attractive  table  ornament. 
Florists  find  these  double  flowei-s,  and 
especially  the  double  white,  very  use- 
ful in  the  formation  of  crosses,  wreaths 
and  other  floral  designs.  The^e  double 
flowers  have  attained  to  such  perfection 
of  form  that  seedsmen  have  named 
them  rose-flowered  and  camellia-flow- 


170 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


ered,  intending  thereby  to  set  forth 
that  they  are  so  double  that  they  re- 
semble these  flowers. 

There  is  an  opinion  current  among 
gardeners  that  old  balsam  seed  is  more 
likely  to  prcfduce  double  flowers  than 
the  seed  of  last  season's  growth.  But 
we  do  not  know  of  any  experiments 
that  have  been  recorded  which  establish 
this  as  a  fact.  Perhaps  some  of  our 
readers  may  have  made  experiments  in 
this  direction ;  if  so,  they  would  be  in- 
teresting as  tending  to  throw  light 
upon  this  point. 


ENGLISH  SPARROWS. 
Our  attention  has  been  called  to  the 
article  under  this  title  in  the  May  num- 
ber, page  108,  where  the  eggs  are 
spoken  of  as  being  of  a  paL  blue.  This 
is  not  the  color  of  the  eggs  of  this  bird 
as  they  appear  here.  The  young  gen- 
tleman, who  laughed  at  the  description 
given,  brought  us  some  of  the  eggs, 
which  are  so  nearly  covered  with  rusty 
brown  spots  as  to  be  almost  brown  in 
•  color,  without  any  perceptible  blue 
whatever. 


COMMUNICATIOKS. 


THE  BLACK  WALNUT, 

/To  THE  EOITOR  OF  THE  CANADIAN  HOKTICULTrSl8T. 

Sib, — ^It  is  very  gratifying  to  find  so 
>many  "  anxious  enquiries "  for  infor- 
mation respecting  the  Black  Walnut 
tree,  but  at  this  time  of  the  year  it 
becomes  too  great  a  task  to  reply  to  all 
letters  on  this  subject,  and,  as  many 
persons  ask  nearly  the  same  questions, 
the  constant  writing  of  answers  be- 
. comes  somewhat  monotonous.  Will 
you,  therefore,  permit  me  to  reply  to  a 


few  of  the  most  pertinent  questions 
through  the  columns  of  the  Canadian 
Borticulturist  ?  By  doing  which,  I  think 
you  will  oblige  many  of  your  readers, 
as  nearly  all  of  my  correspondents  are 
members  of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Asso- 
ciation. 

1.  Can  the  cultivation  of  the  Black 
Walnut  tree  be  profitably  pursued  as  a 
commercial  enterprise  1 

2.  Are  the  Canadian  walnuts  as  good 
a  desert  nut  as  the  English  1 

3.  What  is  the  style  of  growth  of 
the  Black  Walnut  1  and  have  the  trees 
long  or  short  trunks  1 

4.  What  kind  of  soil  is  most  suitable 
to  produce  a  healthy  and  vigorous 
growth  1 

5.  What  extremes  of  temperature 
will  it  survive  ] 

6.  Is  it  a  rapid  or  a  slow  growing 
tree  1 

7.  What  time  do  the  nuts  ripen  I 

8.  Can  the  trees  be  easily  trans- 
planted 1 

9.  I  intend  planting  several  acres  of 
Walnut  trees.  Would  you  recommend 
the  nuts  or  the  young  trees  ?  When — 
in  the  spring  or  fall  1 

10.  W^here  can  young  Walnut  trees 
be  obtained,  and  at  what  price  1 

1 1 .  Where  can  the  nuts  be  obtained 
suitable  for  planting  1 

12.  How  far  apart  should  Walnut 
trees  be  planted  1 

13.  What  preparation  of  the  soil  is 
needed,  and  what  is  the  best  manure 
for  that  purpose,  if  any  is  required  ? 

REPLY. 

1st.  There  can  be  no  doubt  respeclr 
ing  the  profitableness  of  an  investment 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  Canadian 
Walnut  tree,  j)rovided  an  average 
amount  of  intelligence  is  brought  into 
play  in  the  planting  and  culture  of  the 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


171 


same  during  the  first  fifteen  or  twenty 
yeare.  It  can  easily  be  shown  that 
the  pLmting  of  a  given  quantity  of 
land  with  this  species  of  tree  will  give, 
in  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  years,  a 
larger  profit  on  the  investment  than 
would  any  other  legitimate  investment 
in  Ontario. 

2nd.  The  Canadian  Walnut  is  not 
the  same  as  the  nut  of  commerce,  com- 
monly called  the  English  Walnut. 
The  Canadian  Walnut  tree  is  the  Black 
Walnut,  Juglans  Ki<jra.  The  desert 
nut  known  as  the  English  Walnut  is 
the  product  of  the  Juglans  Regin,  an- 
other branch  of  the  Juglandacea  family. 

3rd.  Much  depends  on  the  proximity 
of  its  neighbours.  If  the  trees  are 
grown  near  together  they  will  be  tall 
and  slender ;  but  if  allowed  plenty  of 
room,  45he  diameter  of  the  top  will 
about  equal  its  total  altitude.  The 
general  form  of  the  head  will  be  round, 
loose  and  open. 

4th.  A  rich  clay  soil,  worked  as 
deeply  as  possible. 

5th.  At  this  place  the  thermometer 
often  registei'S  above  90  in  summer, 
and  below  35  in  winter,  and  Walnut 
trees  are  perfectly  healthy. 

Gth.  I  have  several  trees  measuring 
over  24  inches  in  circumference,  12 
yeai*s  old. 

7th.  From  the  middle  to  the  end  of 
October. 

8th.  The  Walnut  tree,  like  most  of 
the  nut-bearing  tree^s,  are  more  difficult 
to  transplant  than  seed-bearing  trees. 

9th.  You  will  probably  be  more  suc- 
cessful by  planting  the  nuts  than  with 
the  young  trees.  Perhaps  it  would  l>e 
better  in  your  case  to  plant  both  nuts 
and  trees.  The  nuts  must  be  planted 
in  the  foil  of  the  year,  and  as  soon 
after  the  nuts  can  be  obtained  as  pos- 
sible. liCt  them  be  in  the  ground  by 
the  1st  of  November.     The  ti-ees  mav 


be  transplanted  either  in  the  spring  or 
fall. 

10th.  I  cannot  answer  this  question. 
Nurserymen  having  Walnut  trees  for 
sale  should  advertize  the  fact  in  the 
Canadian  Horticulturist. 

11th.  Same  reply  as  above. 

12th.  If  you  want  them  simply  for 
shade  trees,  I  should  say  from  40  to  50 
feet  apart ;  but  if  for  planting  for  tim- 
ber, I  would  recommend  planting  the 
nuts  in  rows  four  feet  apart,  and  two 
feet  apart  in  the  row.  Each  alternate 
tree  in  the  row  can  be  removed  for 
transplanting  purposes  in  two  or  three 
years,  leaving  the  standing  trees  four 
feet  apart.  In  from  five  to  ten  years 
each  alternate  tree  can  again  be  taken 
out,  and  also  all  the  trees  in  each  alter- 
nate row.  What  is  left  will  then  be 
eight  feet  apart.  In  15  or  20  years, 
the  thinning  can  again  be  done,  as  last 
mentioned,  thus  leaving  the  standing 
timber  16  feet  apart.  This  will  be  ail 
the  thinning  out  required. 

13th.  Let  the  land  be  thoroughly 
subsoiled  to  a  depth  of  20  inches.  If 
the  land  is  then  in  proper  condition  to 
grow  an  ordinary  grain  crop,  no  manure 
will  be  required.  T.  B. 

Lindsay. 


PEACHES  AND  OTHER  FRUIT  AT 
AYLMER. 

To  THE  Editor  of  the  Canadian  Hokticlltikist. 

Dear  Siu, — Can  you  tell  mftwh«atis 
the  matter  with  my  peach  trees  ;  see 
enclosed  leaf.  I  have  only  to  look  from 
where  I  am  writing,  and  see  that  all 
peach  trees  look  yellow,  and  on  closer 
inspection  all  the  leaves  are  like  the 
enclosed.  One  of  my  neighbour's  trees 
are  the  same,  and  not  only  his  peaches, 
itut  his  pears.  In  his  instance  not  only 
the  leaves,  but  the  young  peal's  are  just 
the  same.  It  is  worse  on  a  splendid, 
tlirifty  young  Clapp's  Favorite.  My 
l)eai"S   are   all    right.      Can   it  be  the 


172 


THE   CANADIA.K   HORTICULTURIST. 


yellows,  of  which  I  have  read  a  great 
deal  lately  1  Is  that  big  white  grub, 
with  the  watery  end,  injurious]  He 
is  very  frequently  met  with  this  year. 
All  the  harm  that  I  can  see  he  does  is 
to  eat  into  potatoes  and  eat  strawberry 
plants  off. 

Fruit  looks  around  this  section  on 
the  main  very  good,  so  far.  Apples, 
pears,  and  cherries,  splendid  ;  in  fact, 
never  saw  such  a  show. 

Currants — 25  per  cent,  blasted  by 
east  wind. 

Gooseberries — Frozen  on  the  top 
branches.  May  23. 

Grapes — Badly  frozen  in  exposed 
positions  same  night ;  coming  on  again 
now. 

Raspberries  and  Blackberries — Show 
is  good. 

Strawberries — -Somewhat  frozen  on 
May  23,  Sharpless  worst  of  all.  Ju- 
cunda  and  Wilson  only  open  blows, 
but  Sharpless  is  so  tender  that  un^ 
opened  buds  froze,  added  to  which  it  is 
not  nearly  as  nice  a  berry  to  eat  as  the 
so-called  third-rate  berry  Jucunda. 
These  are  two  faults  which  even  its 
large  size  and  beautiful  color  of  fruit 
will  not  compensate.  For  size  and  color 
they  are  simply  magnificent,  with  me  ; 
but  a  neighbor  got  some  plants  from 
Ohio,  and  the  shape  of  their  fruit  is 
like  a  man's  closed  hand  ;  almost  in 
every  one  can  the  fingers  be  traced, 
with  a  green  seam  between,  which 
renders  them  worthless. 

Peaches — None ;  and  if  the  rain  was 
a  little  more  like  the  peach  crop,  we 
would  like  it  considerably  better. 

Yours,  Ac,         A.  G.  E. 

The  leaves  found  enclosed  with  this 
interesting  letter  had  the  appearance 
of  having  been  injured  by  the  frost. 
Do  not  think  it  to  be  the  yellows. 

Editor. 


PROTECTING  GRAPES  FROM   BIRDS. 

To  THE  Editor  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist'. 

Sir, — I  have  been  much  amused  and 
instructed  by  reading  the  various  sub- 
jects discussed  in  the  Horticulturist,  as 
also  the  report  of  the  Entomological 
Society.  I  cannot  help  thinking  what 
a  labour  it  must  be  to  tie  paper  bags 
on  the  bunches  of  grapes  in  a  large 
vinery.  Would  not  a  sheet,  made  so 
as  to  go  over  and  round  tinder  the 
whole  vine,  and  fastened  to  the  trellis, 
made  of  course  gauze,  be  much  cheaper 
in  the  end,  and  much  handier,  than  to 
tie  a  bag  on  every  bunch,  although  it 
would  cost  more  at  first  'i  It  could  be 
taken  down,  laid  by,  and  used  again 
for  many  years;  it  would  allow  the 
passage  of  air  through,  and  keep  out 
bees  or  birds,  and  would  save  much 
labour  in  putting  it  on,  as  well  as  in 
taking  otf,  as  compared  with  paper  bags. 
Yours  respectfully, 

James  Milligan. 

Orillia,  26th  June,  1882, 


FRUITS  IN  MUSKOKA 
Nine  or  ten  years  ago,  I  planted 
quite  a  few  trees — apples,  [)ear8,  plums, 
cherries,  etc. — but  all  with  the  excep- 
tion of  two  crabs,  Transcendant  and 
Montreal  Beauty,  died.  Last  spring  I 
planted  several  apple  trees,  with  the 
following  result : — Duchess  of  Olden- 
burg, two  out  of  eight  were  winter- 
killed ;  Red  Astrachan  all  alive  ;  St. 
Lawrence  all  dead ;  Snow-apple  half 
killed,  and  Golden  Kusset  a  fourth 
killed.  Last  winter  was  an  excep- 
tionally severe  one  here  on  trees,  and  I 
congratulate  myself  I  have  so  many 
alive.  1  bought  my  first  lot  through 
an  agent,  and  did  not  then  know  what 
sorts  were  suitable  for  this  district.  I 
believe  the  sorts  I  have  now  can  be 
successfully  grown  here. 

•  I  am,  yours  respectfully, 

Wm.  Gregory. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


173 


BLACK  APHIS  ON  CHERRY  TREES. 
To  THE  Editor  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist. 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  a  fine  cherry 
tree,  the  growing  shoots  of  which  are 
full  of  small  black  lice.  Will  you 
kindly,  through  your  columns,  inform 
me  the  most  effectual  method  of  des- 
troying them,  and  oblige, 

Yours,  Subscriber. 

REPLY. 

Tobacco  water  will  kill  the  black 
aphis.  This  is  made  by  steeping  to- 
bacco stems  in  water  until  the  liquid  is 
of  a  dark  brown  color.  The  stems  can 
be  procured  of  any  cigar  maker. 

If  the  tree  be  small  the  twigs  can 
be  bent  down  and  dipped  in  the  water ; 
but  if  large,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
throw  the  tobacco- water  on  the  young 
shoots  with  a  garden  syringe. 

If  tobacco  stems  cannot  be  con- 
veniently procured,  common  plug  to- 
bacco will  do  just  as  well. 


To  THE  Editor  of  the  Canadian  Horticulturist. 

Sir, — If  convenient,  will  you  please 
in  July  number  mention  how  to  grow 
Tuberose,  and  at  what  time  of  the 
year,  and  you  will  greatly  oblige, 

Yours,         A  Subscriber. 

Please  read  the  article  on  page  93  in 
April  number  for  this  year. — Editor. 


RICE  AS  A  SUBSTITUTE  FOR 
POPATOES. 

When  the  excellence  of  rice  as  a 
diet  is  fully  understood,  its  use  will  be 
more  frequent  and  of  daily  occurrence 
in  every  household.  At  this  season  of 
the  year  especially,  it  may  properly  be 
classed  as  superior  to  any  of  the  cereals 
which  are  in  such  general  use  for  the 
morning  and  mid-day  meals.  No  other 
food  is  so  easy  of  dige.stion,  and  at  its 
present  cost  it  is  cheaper  tlian  potatoes, 
oat-meal,  or  grain-grits  of  any  kind. 


CAP  RASPBERRIES. 

The  improved  methods  of  drying 
fruits,  and  the  ready  market  for  dried 
berries,  have  given  a  new  impetus  to 
the  culture  of  Cap  Raspberries,  or 
Thimble-berries,  as  properly  they  ought 
to  be  called.  This  classifying  two  so 
distinct  sp^ies  under  one  name  has 
always  been  productive  of  considerable 
confusion,  yet,  as  they  were  so  denomi- 
nated by  our  forefathei-s,  Thimble- 
berries  will  no  doubt  be  called  Black- 
cap Haspberries  to  the  end  of  time. 

In  the  early  history  of  small-fruit 
culture.  Cap  Raspberries  figured  pro- 
minently, and  many  varieties,  all  chance 
seedlingt  were  introduced  and  culti- 
vated ;  Ov  ':>  from  disease  and  other 
causes  most  of  them  have  become  de- 
teriorated and  unreliable,  creating  a 
demand  for  good  reliable  new  varieties, 
which  seems  in  a  fair  way  of  becoming 
satisfied.  The  following  varieties  are 
among  the  most  promising  recent  in- 
troductions : 

Iloosier  Mammoth  is  evidently  a 
seedling  of  the  old  Mammoth  Cluster, 
and  is  in  no  way  superior  to  it,  unless 
it  be  that  it  is  less  subject  to  the  casu- 
alties which  impair  the  value  of  the 
latter. 

Florence. — This  is  a  large  yellow  or 
buff  variety,  and  were  it  not  that  the 
so-called  yellow  varieties  are  not  popu- 
lar, and  not  in  demand  in  the  markets, 
would  be  eagerly  sought  after.  It  is 
almost  as  large  as  the  Gregg,  of  strong 
growth,  excessively  prolific,  and  en- 
tirely hardy.  It  ripens  from  mid-seiison 
to  late,  and  is  of  sweet  and  j)lea3ant 
flavor.  A  dish  of  this  and  the  Gregg, 
nicely  mixed,  is  a  most  appetizing  signt 
to  all  who  are  fond  of  Cap  Raspberries. 

Hopkiits  originated  in  Missouri,  and 
promises  to  be  of  great  value.  Ac- 
cording to  an  excellent  authority  from 
the  State  of  its  origin,  it  is  as  large  as 


174 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


the  Grregg,  decidedly  hardier,  and  even 
more  productive. 

Gregg. — In  congenial  soil,  and  under 
proper  treatment,  this  is,  perhaps,  the 
largest  Raspberry  of  its  class  that  has 
as  yet  been  pi'oduced.  Much  disap- 
pointment has  been  encountered  with 
this  variety  by  planting  it* upon  thin, 
light  soil,  where  most  Cap  varieties 
succeed.  The  Gregg  Raspberry,  like 
the  Strawberry,  delights  in  a  deep, 
rich,  cool  soil,  and  is  so  critical  in  this 
respect  that  it  frequently  refuses  to 
respond  in  the  least  to  any  amount  of 
coaxing  on  almost  any  other,  and  proves 
an  utter  failure  upon  sand.  It  is  extra 
large,  jet  black,  with  a  decided  bloom, 
and,  although  quite  good,  yet  not  of  the 
highest  quality,  being  somewhat  dry 
and  meaty.  In  time  of  ripening  it  is  a 
little  later  than  the  well-known  Mam- 
moth Cluster,  hence  late  to  very  late. 
Very  productive  (when  grown  on  con- 
genial soil,  and  with  thorough  culture), 
and  although  exempt  from  the  diseases 
that  attack  the  Mammoth,  and  free 
from  its  weaknesses,  it  is  not  quite  as 
hardy  as  that  fine  old  kind.  However, 
taken  all  in  all,  it  is  a  variety  of  great 
value,  and  worthy  of  a  place  in  all  gar- 
dens suited  to  its  culture. 

Souhegan  is  just  what  every  one  in- 
terested in  Cap  Raspberries  has  long 
been  looking  for :  to  wit,  a  good  early 
variety.  It  has  steadily,  and  entirely 
upon  its  own  merits,  made  itself  known, 
and  really  leaves  but  little  to  be  de- 
sired as  an  early  Black-cap,  either  for 
market  or  the  home  garden.  Of  first 
importance  is,  that  it  succeeds  on  both 
light  and  heavy  soils,  and  in  produc- 
tiveness it  is  simply  wonderful,  being, 
without  exception,  the  most  prolific 
variety  of  the  productive  Cap  Rasp- 
berries that  has  yet  come  under  my 
notice.  In  hardiness  it  appears  to  be 
"  iron-clad, "havingstood twenty  degrees 
below  zero  without   injury,  when   all 


others  in  the  same  plantation  were 
killed  to  the  ground,  and  is  very  early, 
ripening  about  a  week  earlier  than 
Doolittle.  It  is  of  fair  size,  juicy, 
sweet,  and  rich,  and,  what  adds  much 
to  its  value  as  a  market  berry,  shining 
jet  black,  without  bloom. — J.  T.  Lov- 
ETT,  in  American  Garden. 


GRAPES. 

In  answer  to  frequent  inquiries  as  to 
the  relative  value,  quality  and  charac- 
ter of  the  more  common  and  newer 
varieties  of  the  grape,  we  place  a  num- 
ber of  sorts  under  the  following  heads  : 

Early  grapes — Moore's  Early,  Lady, 
Worden,  Massasoit,  Hartford  Prolific. 

Hardy  half-bloods — Burnet,  Salem, 
Wilder,  and  the  other  Rogers'  hybrids. 

High  quality  and  character,  with  a 
slight  intermixture  of  exotic  blood — 
Lady  Washington,  Brighton. 

Of  fine  quality,  but  poor  growth — 
Eumelan,  Rebecca,  Walter,  Adiron- 
dack, 

Hardy  and  high  flavor,  but  poor 
bunch — Creveling. 

Nearly  perfect,  but  not  quite  good 
enough — Concord. 

Prominent  and  promising  white  grapes 
— Prentiss,  Pocklington.  Red  or  darker 
— Jefferson,  Yergennes. 

Half-blood,  tender,  high  quality — 
Allen's  Hybrid. 

Faultless,  but  rather  small — Dela- 
ware. 

Hardy  and  productive,  but  not  good 
enough — Hartford,  Martha. 

Good  winter  keepers — the  late-ripen- 
ing Rogers'  hybrids. 

Grapes  of  high  value  or  of  high  pro- 
mise —  Lady  Washington,  Niagara, 
I>>u chess,  Brighton,  Rochester,  Prentiss, 
Jefferson. 

Of  little  value  -  Blood's  Black,  Janes- 
ville.  Champion,  Charter  Oak,  Dracut 


THE  CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


175 


Amber.  Israella,  Northern  Muscadine, 
Union  Village. — Altered  from  Country 
Gentleman. 


A  NEW  PRINCIPLE  IN  PROTECTION 
FROM  INSECT  ATTACK. 


BY  J.    A-    LINTNEH. 


{Read  htfore  the  Western  New  York  Horticultural 
Society.) 

Our  more  accurate  writers  in  Econ- 
omic Entomology,  in  the  recommenda- 
tions which  they  present  for  the  arrest 
of  insect  depredations,  have,  of  late, 
made  a  very  proper  distinction  between 
j/reventive  and  remedial  measures.  If 
we  construe  an  "  insect  attack  "  in  its 
broadest  sense,  as  a  habit  pertaining  to 
a  epecies  of  insect,  of  regularly  attack- 
ing a  plant  or  an  animal,  then  its  arrest 
at  any  time  or  in  any  manner,  may 
properly  be  regarded  as  a  remedy  of 
the  evil,  and  remedial  measures  would 
thus  comprise  preventive  ones.  But  if 
we  limit  the  "  attack  "  to  each  separate 
periodical  recurrence  of  the  same,  then 
it  is  possible  by  the  interposition  of 
preventives  to  preclude  the  attack  and 
to  render  remedies  unnecessary,  and, 
indeed,  impossible.  In  this  latter  sense, 
"  remedies  "  imply  that  an  attack  has 
commenced  :  "  preventives  "  that  means 
are  resorted  to  prior  to  the  commence- 
ment of  attack. 

Of  the  latter,  are  such  measures  as 
change  in  crops,  early  or  late  planting, 
that  may  preclude  the  period  of  egg 
deposit,  vigorous  cultivation,  selection 
of  varieties  which  may  be  nearly  or 
wholly  exempt  from  attack,  washes  and 
coatings  or  other  coverings,  or  the 
application  of  highly  odorous  substances 
to  the  object  to  be  protected,  or  to  the 
soil  afljacent  if  it  be  a  vegetable  growth, 
to  prevent  the  deposit  of  eggs. 

While  the  preventives  that  have 
been  i»roposed  are  comparatively  few, 
the  remedies  could  be  enumerated  by 
hundreds.     Merely   to  specify  a  few, 


we  have  the  popular  applications  of 
Paris  Green,  London  purple,  hellebore 
and  pyrethrum,  in  powder  or  in  liquid 
form;  carbolic  acid,  kerosene  and  other 
oils  ;  soft  soap  and  otheralkaline  washes, 
lime,  ashes,  soot,  dust,  salt,  hot  water, 
hand-picking,  tree-jarring,  burning  in- 
fested twigs,  attracting  to  tires,  to  lights, 
or  to  adhesive  sweets — all  tending  to 
the  destruction  of  insect  life  in  one  or 
more  of  its  several  stages. 

It  will  readily  be  conceded  that  the 
use  of  preventives,  wherever  practicable, 
is  more  economical,  more  effective,  and 
often  more  convenient  than  a  resort  to 
remedies. 

We  propose,  at  this  time,  to  limit 
our  attention  to  those  means  now  in 
great  favor,  which  consist  of  such  appli- 
cations to  the  soil  or  to  the  plant  di- 
rectly that  promise  a  safeguard  against 
Hie  deposit  of  insect  eggs. 

The  great  benefit  of  commencing  our 
efforts  at  this  point  is  so  obvious  as  to 
need  no  words  to  commend  it.  It 
would  not  be  "  nipping  in  the  bud  " 
or  "crushing  in  the  egg.''  It  is  prior  to 
and  beyond  these.  If  no  egg  be 
deposited,  we  have  no  artfully  concealed 
e%g  to  search  for,  no  larva,  whose  rapa- 
city and  destructiveness  we  must  arrest ; 
no  pupa,  whose  retreat  is  to  be  discover- 
ed, and  no  imago,  whose  egg-distended 
abdomen  is  as  fraught  with  evil  as  was 
that  of  the  Trojan  horse  of  old,  to  be 
cai)tured  or  entraj)ped — in  short,  we 
have  dispensed  with  the  four  insect 
stages  that  requii^  such  unwearied  and 
unending  investigation  in  order  to 
ascertain  the  most  vulnerable  point  of 
attack  of  insect  life,  and  the  best  nif'nn^ 
with  which  to  assail  it. 

Can  the  deposit  of  eggs  be  preveiited  i 
It  can  be,  and  has  been  done  with 
perfect  success  in  many  instances. 
Please  accept  my  simple  assunmce  of 
this,  instead  of  occupying  your  time  by 
citing  instances  in  proof  thereof. 


176 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


How  tnwy  it  he  'prevented  ?  It  may 
be  prevented  by  applying  to  the  plant 
or  to  the  soil,  certain  odorous  sub- 
stances which  are  popularly  believed  to 
be  disagreeable  to  the  insect,  and  there- 
fore, to  drive  it  away. 

Among  these  substances  may  be 
mentioned  kerosene  oil,  coal-tar,  naph- 
thaline, carbolic  acid,  gas-lime,  and 
bisulphide  of  carbon.  That  these  and 
similar  substances  have  been  success- 
fully used  in  preventing  insect  attack, 
is  undeniable,  resting  as  the  claim  does, 
on  authoritative  testimony,  which  T 
would  be  glad  to  present  to  you  if  there 
•were  the  time. 

How  do  they  prevent  the  deposit  % 
The  answer  to  this  question  is  the  object 
of  the  present  paper.  The  views  that 
I  shall  present  are  my  own — original, 
so  far  as  I  know.  They  have  been  but 
recently  conceived,  without  the  time  or 
opportunity  of  maturing  them.  They, 
as  yet,  may  only  claim  theoretic  value, 
but  believing  as  I  do,  not  only  in  their 
correctness,  but  that  they  are  destined 
to  be  of  eminent  service  to  economic 
entomology,  I  esteem  it  a  privilege  to 
offer  them  first  to  this  Society.  I  do 
so  from  the  deep  interest  which  you 
feel  in  entomological  investigations,  as 
shown  in  the  admirable  papers  that 
have  been  presented  at  former  meetings, 
in  the  jjrominent  place  you  have  given 
to  entomological  topics  in  your  discus- 
sions, and  in  the  invitation  extended 
to  your  State  Entomologist,  to  ad- 
dress you  at  this  time.  And  beyond 
these  considerations,  there  is  the  fact 
that  your  membership  offers  all  needed 
opportunity  for  testing  these  views, 
and  I  am  sure  that  there  is  the  willing- 
ness to  take  the  pains  requisite  for  their 
proper  test. 

In  answering  the  question,  how  do 
these  odorous  substances,  in  their  appli- 
cation, prevent  the  deposit  of  eggs,  I 
must  first  premise,  that  much  the  larger 


proportion  of  the  insect  world  are 
guided  in  the  deposit  of  their  eggs,  not 
by  the  sense  of  sight,  but  by  the  sense 
of  smell.  Allow  me  a  consideration  of 
this  view,  before  proceeding  to  its 
practical  application.  The  idea  is  a 
popular  one,  that  most  of  the  moths  and 
beetles  and  many  of  the  insects  that 
attack  vegetation,  select  by  means  of 
sight  the  particular  plant  upon  which 
to  place  their  eggs.  Their  marvellous 
compound  eyes,  consisting  of  hundreds 
and  even  thousands  of  separate  lenses, 
even  to  the  number  of  34,000,  as  in  the 
eye  of  the  butterfly,  have  been  cited  as 
a  wonderful  provision  in  nature,  to 
afford  that  acuteness  of  vision  which 
was  needed  in  their  selection  of  the 
proper  plant  on  which  to  oviposit. 
While  sharing, in  this  belief,  I  had 
often  wondered  at  the  incomprehensible 
acuteness  shown  by  an  insect  in  the  dis- 
covery of  the  particular  species  of  yjlant 
upon  which  alone  the  young  caterpillars 
proceeding  from  its  eggs,  could  feed, — 
in  the  discovery  of  a  single  individual 
of  a  rare  species  occurring  in  a  certain 
locality,  and  growing  in  such  a  manner 
as  effectually  to  hide  it  from  human 
observation.  When  its  range  of  food 
plants  extends  beyond  a  species  to  all 
the  members  of  a  genus,  how  could  it 
detect  all  of  the  often  greatly  different 
forms?  When  a  still  broader  range 
embraces  the  several  genera  of  an  ex- 
tended order,  a  still  greater  variety 'of 
forms  are  presented,  which  the  rude 
ins€>ct  brain  must  group  and  classify, 
and  claim  within  its  province.  How 
amazing  such  knowledge  without  pre- 
vious instruction.  It  had  no  parents 
living,  as  in  the  class  of  vertebrates, 
which  might  teach  it  by  example.  It 
had  no  ancestors  a  whit  wiser  than  itself 
fi"om  which  to  learn.  The  deposit  of 
the  eg^  in  ita  proper  place  may  have 
been  but  the  second  voluntai-y  act  of  its 
imago  life,  regarding  that  of  flight  for 
the   purpose  as  the  fii-st.     Perhaps  a 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


177 


plant  from  some  distant  shore,  of  which 
not  one  of  its  ever  so  remote  ancestry 
could  have  had  any  knowledge,  is 
brought  within  its  range  of  wing ;  its 
flight  is  unhesitatingly  directed  to  it, 
and  its  precious  burden  of  eggs,  without 
a  shadow  of  mistrust,  is  at  once  com- 
mitted to  its  leaves.  Such  knowledge 
has  never  been  attained  by  our  most 
distinguished  botanists,  and  it  is  beyond 
the  scope  of  human  intellect.  We 
have  called  its  displays  instinct — a 
word  conveniently  framed  to  cover 
manifestations  in  other  classes  of  ani- 
mated beings,  which  we  are  utterly 
unable  to  explain.  As  a  partial  ex- 
planation of  these  wonders,  it  has  been 
suggested  that  to  the  insect  world  may 
have  been  given  senses  differing  in 
number  and  in  kind  from  those  which 
we  possess.  But  all  the  wonderful 
phenomena  attendant  upon  insect  ovi- 
position  by  selection  is  readily  explain- 
ed under  the  supposition  that  it  is 
guided  and  controlled  by  the  sense  of 
smell.  We  know  the  value  of  this 
important  sense  to  us,  how  greatly  it 
may  minister  to  our  pleasure,  and  what 
service  it  may  render  in  guarding  us 
from  deleterious  exhalations  and  from 
improper  food.  It  is  capable  of  culti- 
vation to  the  extent  of  rendering  us 
still  greater  service.  I  have  been  told 
of  a  chemist  in  one  of  our  colleges  who 
can  make  quite  a  correct  qualitative 
analysis  of  a  patent  nostrum  hy  apply- 
ing it  to  his  nose,  and  picking  out  one 
after  another  of  the  ingredients,  first 
naming  those  which  are  simply  added 
as  covers.  It  is  related  of  a  blind  per- 
son that  he  acquired  the  faculty  of  re- 
cognizing his  acquaintances  by  the 
sense  of  smell.  There  are  negroes  in 
Africa  who  will  follow  their  mastei-s 
by  scent.  A  fish  dealer  in  Albany 
claims  the  ability  of  naining  each  spe- 
cies of  tish  offered  in  the  market,  when 
presented  to  him  blindfolded,  by  the 
odor   peculiar   to  each.     The  illustra- 


tions given  us  of  the  acuteness  of  this 
sense,  in  some  of  our  domestic  animals, 
are  so  numerous  as  not  to  need  cita- 
tion. We  will  quote  a  single  instance 
of  this  almost  miraculous  acuteness, 
related  upon  undoubted  authority  : — 
"  A  person,  to  make  trial  whetlier  a 
young  blood-hound  was  well  tniined, 
caused  one  of  his  servants  to  walk  to  a 
town  four  miles  distant,  and  then  to  a 
market-town  three  miles  further.  The 
dog,  without  having  seen  the  man  he 
was  to  pursue,  followed  him  by  the 
scent  to  the  above  mentioned  places, 
notwithstanding  the  multitude  of  mar- 
ket people  that  went  along  the  same 
way,  and  of  travellers  that  had  occa- 
sion to  cross  it ;  and  when  the  blood- 
hound came  to  the  chief  market-town, 
he  passed  through  the  streets  without 
taking  any  notice  of  any  of  the  people 
there,  and  left  not  till  he  had  gone  to 
the  house  where  the  man  he  sought 
rested  himself,  and  found  him  in  an 
upper  room,  to  the  wonder  of  those 
that  followed  him." 

That  insects  are  controlled  by  this 
same  sense  may  seem  a  bold  supposi- 
tion to  those  of  you  who  may  happen 
to  know,  or  who  may  leara  now  Irom 
the  confession  that  I  am  compelled  to 
make,  that  notwithstanding  the  labo- 
rious investigations  in  insect  structure, 
conducted  through  a  century  by  some 
of  our  most  distiuguished  scientists,  we 
are  utterly  unable  to  point  out  with 
positive  certainty  the  precise  location 
and  nature  of  the  organs  of  smell.  Na- 
turalists have  differed,  and  still  differ, 
in  their  views  in  regard  to  their  loca- 
tion. Cuvier,  Audouin,  Dumeril  and 
Burmeister,  have  regarded  the  spiracles 
or  breathing  pores  as  discharging  this 
office.  Reaumer,  Lyonnet,  Luitreille, 
and  others,  have  referred  it  to  the  an- 
tennie.  Others  have  believed  that  the 
palpi  were  th(^  true  smelling  organs, 
and  others  that  the  sense  belonged  to 
certain  cavities  in  the  front  part  of  the 


178 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


head,  and  to  the  mucous  linii^  of  the 
mouth  ;  while  Kirby  and  Spence  have 
thought  that  they  have  discovered  a 
nose  in  the  fore  part  of  the  head, 
which  they  call  the  rhinarium  or  nos- 
tril-piece, connected  with  which  is  a 
beautifully  striated  structure,  which 
they  have  described  as  the  veritable 
organs  of  smell. 

I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Hagan,  of 
Cambridge.  Mass.,  for  the  following 
information  as  to  the  location  of  these 
organs,  drawn  from  Hauser :  Zeitschrift 
f.  wisenschaft  Zoologie,  1880.  The 
Record  has  just  been  received,  and  it 
gives  the  latest  observations  of  the 
best  investigators. 

Strong  smelling  substance,  as  tur- 
pentine, carbolic  acid,  and  decayed 
meats,  proved  that  the  organs  of  smell 
were  situated  in  the  antennae  in  very 
many  insects.  Nevertheless,  not  all 
the  insects  employed  in  the  experi- 
ments were  deprived  of  the  sense  after 
the  amputation  of  the  antennae,  among 
which  were  Carabus,  Pyrrhocoris,  &c. 
After  the  antennae  were  cut  the  males 
rarely  mated. 

Sensitive  bristles  are  present  in  Or- 
thoptera  {(Edipoda  and  Caloptenus)  on 
every  joint  of  the  antennae  after  the 
eighth  or  ninth,  and  fifty  sensitive  pits 
or  furrows,  which  are  probably  closed 
by  a  fine  membrane  and  have  interiorly 
one  smelling-rod.  Stenohothrus  and 
Gryllotalpa  are  similarly  provided. 
Diptera  (flies)  have  in  the  third  joint 
100  to  200  furrows,  with  as  many  as 
200  sensitive  bristles.  Vanessa  has  on 
each  joint  of  the  knob  of  the  antennae 
fifty  furrows.  Of  the  Coleoptera,  the 
Carabids,  Cerambycids  and  Ourculion- 
ides,  possess  no  antennal  furrows,  while 
they  are  present  in  the  Silphides,  Sta- 
phylinides,  and  Tenebrionides.  The 
Lamellicornes  have  on  the  under  side 
an  immense  number  of  very  small  fur- 
rows, viz.,  in  the  female,  17,500,  and 
in  the  male  39,000. 


All  insects  which  have  to  rely  upon- 
the  sense  of  smell  for  discovering  their 
food  or  placing  their  eggs  possess  many 
sensitive  furrows  or  pits  in  the  an- 
tennae, as  bees,  wasps,  ichneumons, 
Diptera  and  Lepidoptera. 

Dr.  Hagen  suggests  that  probably  in 
many  insects  the  organs  of  smell  and 
taste  are  united.  Such  may  be  the 
organs  which  are  found  in  the  honey- 
bee in  the  epipharynx  (on  underside  of 
the  labrum),  consisting  of  numerous 
sensorial  furrows,  and  which  have  just 
been  discovered  in  the  same  position 
in  Aphis  and  Cicada,  by  Mr.  H.  Os- 
born,  of  the  Iowa  State  Agricultural 
College. 

THE  NEW  WHITE  GRAPES. 

A  young  inquirer  wishes  to  know 
the  comparative  quality  and  value  of 
four  new  white  grapes  which  he  names, 
namely,  the  Duchess,  Pocklington, 
Prentiss  and  Niagara.  Without  having 
had  an  opportunity  of  examining  them 
critically  side  by  side,  we  should  place 
the  Duchess  first  in  quality,  a  draw- 
back being  its  one-fourth  foreign  blood, 
and  the  fear  that  this  intermixture  may 
possibly  injure  the  foliage  in  future. 
Next  in  flavor  would  be  the  Prentiss, 
a  strictly  native  sort,  of  excellent  qual- 
ity, but  not  equal  in  this  respect  to  the 
Duchess.  The  Niagara,  although  one 
notch  lower  in  flavor,  is  larger,  finer  in 
appearance,  a  prodigious  grower  and 
bearer,  and  on  the  whole  has  an  un- 
usual number  of  excellent  points  not 
found  combined  in  any  other  variety. 
The  Pocklington  is  still  larger,  and 
perhaps  more  showy  than  the  Niagara, 
but  a  notch  farther  down  in  quality  at 
the  usual  time  of  ripening.  We  are 
informed,  however,  that  if  allowed  to 
hang  sevei'al  weeks  it  becomes  excel- 
lent. These  four  sorts  all  stand  high, 
and  are  all  eminently  worthy  of  trial. — 
From  the  Country  Gentleman. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


179 


CALLA  iETHIOPICA,  OR  "TRUMPET 
LILY." 

A  correspondent  of  the  London  Gar- 
dener'8  Magazine  says  : 

"The  Trumpet  Lily  has  become  so 
much  in  demand  of  late  years  for  fur- 
nishins:  cut  flowers  for  church  decora- 
tion  at  Easter  and  for  indoor  decorations 
generally,  that  a  hint  or  two  on  its 
cultivation  will  perhaps  be  of  service  to 


some  readers  of  the  Magazine.  First  of 
all  I  would  say  that  I  have  tried  many 
ways  of  growing  it.  For  example,  I 
have  tried  drying  off  the  plants  through 
the  summer  at  one  time,  and  keeping 
them  growing  in  pots  and  feeding  them 
highly  at  another.  But  the  plan  which 
causes  the  least  trouble,  and  gives  the 
best  results,  is  planting  them  out.  If 
you  have  a  few  examples  to  start  with, 
as  soon  as  danger  of  frost  is  over,  in  the 
spring,  turn  them  out  in  rich  soil  in  the 
kitchen  garden,  and  water  liberally  to 
settle  the  soil  about  the  roots.  They 
will  soon  become  established  and  take 
care  of  themselves,  unless  the  weather 
is  very  dry  indeed,  when  an  occasional 
soaking  with  clear  water  or  liquid 
manure  will  be  of  service  to  them. 
They  will  not  seem  to  make  much  pro- 
gress until  the  nights  become  rather 
cool,  when  they  will  grow  most  sturdily. 
They  must  remain  in  the  border  until 
there  is  danger  of  frost,  and  then  be 
taken  up  and  potted.  If  an  increase 
of  stock  is  desired  take  off  the  offsets 
when  the  stock  is  lifted,  and  put  them 
several  together  round  the  sides  of  five 
or  six  inch  pots.  These  can  be  put  out 
as  advised  above  in  the  spring  following. 


If  it  is  desired  to  put  them  in  small 
pots  carefully  remove  all  the  soil  from 
the  roots,  and  put  them  in  pots  of  the 
desired  size.  The  massive  plants  which 
already  contain  the  flowers  will  not 
show  the  least  sign  of  distress  if  after 
potting  they  are  well  watered  and  kept 
well  shaded  for  a  few  days.  I  have 
taken  up  thousands  and  treated  them 
thus  without  losing  a  leaf.  If  wanted 
for  Christmas,  those  which  show  flower 
(and  many  of  them  will  bloom  earlier 
than  Christmas  if  forced  on  at  once) 
should  be  selected  for  putting  into  heat. 
The  othei-s  will  come  on  in  succession, 
and  many  of  them,  if  kept  cool,  will 
not  start  until  Easter,  when  the  flowers 
are  again  in  great  demand." 


THE  SECRET  OF  GOOD  LUCK. 

It  is  very  common  to  hear  people  say 
that  it  is  no  use  for  them  to  plant  fruit 
trees.  They  have  no  luck  with  them. 
But  in  truth  luck  never  did  anything 
of  any  importance.  We  don't  trust 
our  farm  or  general  garden  crops  to 
this  pei-son.  Luck ;  but  the  sensible 
farmer  and  grower  employs  good,  care- 
ful hands,  and  directs  their  work  by 
long  experience,  and  the  teeming  har- 
vest field  and  luxuriant  vegetable  gar- 
den attest  to  their  wisdom  and  industry. 
There  is  no  luck  about  it,  but  a  careful 
measuring  to  the  end  to  be  accomplished 
with  the  means  at  hand  to  gain  it. 
Whenever  the  same  means  have  been 
adopted  with  fruit  trees  good  results 
have  followed.  In  our  own  district 
there  are  "  loads  "  of  people  who  have 
wonderful  success  with  certain  things 
that  they  set  their  hearts  on,  and  the 
growing  of  fruit  is  among  these  suc- 
cesses. But  these  men,  we  i-ei>eat,  do 
not  trust  to  luck.  The  trees  are  pruned 
as  they  ought  to  be  and  manured  with 
what  they  need  ;  precautions  are  taken 
against  injury  from  curculio  and  borers, 
and  thus  industry,  and  not  luck,  meets 


180 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


with  its  due  reward.  Try  it  as  fruit 
raising  and  every  other  crop  raising 
ought  to  be  tried,  and  see  how  easy  it 
is  to  get  good  fruit  and  plenty  of  it  by 
going  about  it  in  the  right  way. — 
Germantown  Telegraph. 


NUT-BEARING  TREES. 

{From  the  Witness). 

BY  JAMES    DOUGA.LL,    WINDSOR,    ONTARIO. 

As  you  have  advocated,  from  time  to 
time,  the  planting  of  nut-bearing  trees 
in  places  where  the  land  is  not  suitable 
or  not  intended  for  cultivation,  and  as 
there  has  been  some  inquiry  through 
your  columns  regarding  the  proper 
time  and  way  to  plant  and  cultivate 
them,  I  give  you  my  experience  on  the 
subject. 

The  Black  Walnut  (Jw^Ws  Nigra), 
owing  to  its  gigantic  size,  its  beautiful 
and  graceful  appearance  when  at  ma- 
turity, its  quick  growth  and  the  great 
value  of  its  wood  in  a  commercial  point 
of  view,  besides  its  value  as  a  nut-bear- 
ing tree,  is  first  of  its  class.  It  is  in 
every  way  suitable  for  road,  lawn,  or 
grove  planting  where  the  soil  is  suitable, 
but  I  doubt  if  it  could  be  grown  to 
advantage  on  rocky  or  barren  lands 
unfit  for  cultivation,  as  it  requires  a 
rich,  deep  soil.  It  grows  naturally  to 
an  immense  size  on  the  rich  lands  of 
the  western  peninsula  of  Ontario,  in 
Ohio  and  other  States.  In  1853  I 
planted  a  row  of  one-year-old  black 
walnuts.  No  after  care  was  taken  of 
them.  The  greater  part,  including  the 
largest,  were  cut  down  to  make  room 
for  buildings.  On  examination  I  find 
only  four  of  them  left,  the  largest  of 
which  measures  four  feet  in  circumfer- 
ence at  the  butt,  three  feet  six  inches  at 
six  feet  high,  and  three  feet  at  fifteen 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  upwards  of 
forty  feet  high  ;  the  other  three  trees 
are  about  an  eighth  less  in  size.  Had 
the  nuts  been  planted  where  the  trees 
were  to  stand,  and  had  they  not  been 


injured  by  buildings  so  near  them, 
they  would  probably  have  been  much 
larger. 

The  Butternut  {Juglan8Cinerea),ia 
not  so  large  or  so  valuable  a  tree  as  the 
black  walnut,  but  it  will  grow  in  places 
where  the  other  will  not  thrive,  and 
grows  naturally  much  farther  North. 
I  have  seen  it  growing  to  a  good  size 
on  the  stony  sides  of  the  Montreal 
Mountain,  and  it  would  no  doubt  do 
well  in  places  unfit  for  general  cultiva- 
tion. The  wood  is  not  so  valuable,  but 
the  nuts  are  preferred  for  eating  to  the 
black  walnut,  though  both  are  rather 
strong  and  cathartic.  Both  are  nearly 
as  good  for  pickling  when  gathered, 
green,  as  the  European  walnut. 

The  European  Walnut  or  Madeira 
Nut  [Juglans  regia),  where  the  climate 
and  soil  are  suitable,  would  be  a  valuable 
tree  to  plant,  but  it  is  too  tender  for 
this  section  of  the  country.  I  have 
tried  it  largely,  but  it  is  invariably 
Winter-killed  to  within  a  foot  or  so  of 
the  ground,  sending  up  strong  shoots 
from  the  base  the  following  season,  to 
be  again  killed  down  the  following 
Winter.  My  soil  is  a  strong  clay  loam. 
If  planted  on  a  light  soil,  with  gravelly 
sub  soil,  it  would  perhaps  stand  the 
Winter  here,  and  farther  South  it 
would  no  doubt  succeed  well  and  prove 
profitable  for  the  nuts  as  well  as  for 
the  wood. 

The  Hickory,  shell  bark  {Carya 
Alba),  is  only  second  in  value  to  the 
black  walnut,  if  it  is  not  i-eally  first. 
The  wood  is  very  valuable,  being  much 
used  in  carriage  building  and  for  other 
purposes,  while  as  a  wood  for  fuel  it 
stands  first.  The  nut,  with  perhaps 
the  exception  of  the  sweet  chestnut,  is 
the  most  prized  of  any  of  the  nut-bear- 
ing trees  of  this  country,  and  always 
commands  a  steady  sale  and  high  price, 
which  will  continue  to  increase  as  the 
trees  in  the  forests  get  scarcer,   large 


THE  CANADIAN   H0RTICULTTIRI8T. 


181 


numbers  being  cut  down  for  firewood 
everywhere. 

In  clearing  a  farm  for  pasturage  some 
years  ago  I  left  all  the  hickoiy-trees,  of 
which  tliere  were  a  great  many,  some  of 
them  of  very  large  size.  I  found  great 
differences  in  the  size  and  quality  of  the 
nuts.  Some  were  very  large,  with  veiy 
thick  shells  and  but  little  meat  in  them, 
others  nearly  as  large  with  compara- 
tively thin  shells  full  of  meat  of  a  finer 
flavor,  while  others  bore  small  or  me- 
dium-sized nuts  of  inferior  value. 

The  hickory,  from  its  upright,  grace- 
ful habit,  its  quick  growth  and  valuable 
qualities,  is  one  particularly  suited  for 
roadside,  lawn,  or  grove  planting.  It 
requires  a  similar  rich  soil  to  the  black 
walnut,  or  rocky  hillocks  with  good  soil 
among  the  stones,  on  which  it  will 
attain  a  large  size,  bearing  early,  and 
will  prove  very  profitable  to  those  who 
plant  it  largely.  The  nut  must  be 
planted  where  the  tree  is  to  stand,  as 
owing  to  its  large  tap-root  it  will  not 
stand  ti-ans{)lanting  from  a  seed-bed,  as 
I  have  found  by  experience. 

The  Pecan  (carya  olivceformis )  is  a 
variety  of  the  hickory,  with  oblong- 
shaped  nuts,  a  thin  shell  and  more  deli- 
cate flavor.  I  have  not  heard  of  its 
being  grown  to  any  extent  in  the  North- 
ern States,  its  natural  habitation  being 
further  South  ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  it 
would  grow  well  wherever  the  hickory 
grows.  It  is  equally  hardy  here,  and 
grows  fully  as  fast  and  strong  as  the 
hickory.  Some  yeai-s  ago  I  planted 
some  of  the  nuts  in  my  garden  in  the 
Fall.  They  grew  the  following  Spring, 
but  being  too  close  together  I  removed 
all  but  one  and  planted  elsewhere. 
Like  the  hickory  they  did  not  stand 
transplanting,  and  dwindled  away.  The 
one  left  grew  very  fast  till  it  attained 
two  feet  in  circumference,  when  it  sud- 
denly blighted  just  as  it  wivs  coming 
into  bearing  and  died  back.    Supposing 


it  had  been  injured  by  the  Winter,  or 
unsuitable  to  the  climate,  I  thought  it 
would  not  succeed  so  far  North,  but  I 
afterwards  found  that  my  neighbor  had 
placed  a  number  of  baiTels  of  coal  oil 
against  my  fence,  which  had  leaked  so 
much  that  two  years  after  in  digging 
I  found  the  subsoil  perfectly  saturated 
with  the  oil.  This  had  killed  the  roots 
of  the  tree  on  that  side.  On  cutting 
back  the  tree  to  a  shoot  on  the  sound 
side  it  has  since  grown  fifteen  feet,  and 
bids  fair  to  become  a  good-sized  tree. 
The  pecan  is  well  adapted  for  a  shade 
tree  or  for  planting  for  profit. 

The  Sweet  Chestnut  (Castanea 
Vesca),  is  one  of  our  largest  and  hand- 
somest trees,  and  is  very  profitable  whwi 
grown  on  suitable  soil.  It  is  very  pro- 
lific— the  nuts,  which  are  easily  gath- 
ered, falling  to  the  ground  when  ripe, 
and  selling  at  high  prices  in  any 
quantity.  It  will  only  grow  on  light, 
sandy  soils,  with  gravelly  subsoil,  where 
it  attains  an  immense  size.  A  friend 
made  as  much  from  a  tine  grove  of 
gigantic  trees  near  his  house  as  he  did 
from  the  rest  of  his  farm  of  fifty  acres. 
His  trees  were  near  enough  to  over- 
shadow the  ground  so  that  grass  would 
not  grow,  and  he  kept  it  clean  and 
smooth,  so  that  the  nuts  could  be  gath- 
ered once  or  twice  a  day,  as  they  fell. 
The  timber  is  also  valuable  and  veiy 
lasting. 

The  European  or  Spanish  Chestnut 
is  said  to  be  the  same  as  the  American, 
but  larger  fruited.  It  has  been  greatly 
improved  by  cultivation,  and  is  now 
nearly  as  large  as  a  small  hoi-se-chestnut, 
but  is  not  BO  sweet  or  fine-flavored  as  the 
common  American  variety.  In  Spain, 
the  southern  parts  of  France,  Italy,  and 
the  adjacent  countries,  sweet  chesnuts, 
either  raw,  boiled  or  roasted,  or  ground 
into  flour,  form  a  common  article  of 
diet.  It  is  not,  however,  the  wild 
chesnut  which  furnishes  the  nuts  that 


182 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


are  consumed  in  the  south  of  Europe 
and  exported  to  more  northern  coun- 
tries, but  a  number  of  cultivated  vari- 
ieties,  the  nuts  of  which  aie  larger  and 
sweeter. 

I  formerly  imported  a  large  number 
of  trees  of  the  best  of  these  varieties 
from  France,  but  they  were  too  tender 
for  this  climate,  and  died  off  in  a  few 
years.  This  may,  however,  be  attri- 
buted to  unsuitable  soil,  and  I  presume 
that,  planted  on  soil  in  which  the 
common  chestnut  thrives,  they  would 
stand  our  Winters.  Farther  south,  on 
land  as  previously  described,  they 
would  no  doubt  do  well  and  prove 
highly  profitable ;  while  in  the  light, 
sandy  soil  best  suitable  for  it  other 
crops  do  not  prove  profitable. 

The  Almond  {amygdalus  communis), 
will  do  well  in  many  parts  of  the 
United  States,  wherever  the  peach 
grows  and  the  seasons  are  long  enough 
to  bring  its  fruit  to  maturity.  I  have 
grown  the  hard-shell  variety  in  per- 
fection here,  but  I  have  not  heard  of 
orchards  being  planted  with  it,  though 
it  would  prove  highly  profitable  in  the 
Southern  States  or  California ;  and  it 
could  be  grown  in  place  of  peaches 
where  the  latter  would  be  too  far  from 
a  market.  Its  cultivation  is  the  same 
as  the  peach,  to  which  it  is  nearly  al- 
lied. In  France  the  peach  is  commonly 
budded  on  the  common  almond,  being 
considered  more  hardy.  There  are 
several  varieties,  the  common  the  hard- 
shell sweet,  the  soft-shell  sweet  and  the 
hitter  almond.  The  soft-shell  sweet 
ripens  much  earlier  than  the  other 
varieties,  but  is  rather  tender  north  of 
Philadelphia.  As  the  nuts  imported 
from  Europe  are  often  stale  and  musty 
there  is  no  reason  why  all  that  are  re- 
quired in  this  country  should  not  be 
grown  in  it,  so  as  to  have  them  always 
fresh  and  sweet. 

The  cultivation  of  nut-bearing  trees 


is  very  simple  when  understood.  As  a 
general  thing  they  will  succeed  much 
better  if  the  nuts  are  planted  as  soon 
as  ripe  in  the  Fall  where  they  are  to 
stand.  The  greater  part  of  them  have 
very  large  tap-roots  which  have  to  be 
cut  off  short  in  removing  them,  so  that 
they  do  not  thrive  or  even  grow,  as 
before  mentioned,  when  transplanted. 

Two  or  three  nuts  should  be  planted 
in  a  hill,  the  best  only  being  allowed 
to  grow.  The  great  difiiculty  in  plant- 
ing in  this  manner  on  waste  lands  which 
are  usually  used  as  pasturage  will  be  to 
keep  the  cattle  from  browsing  them  till 
they  are  high  enough  and  large  enough 
to  be  out  of  danger.  A  few  stakes 
driven  in  around  them  and  wattled 
with  thorn  branches  is  an  excellent 
protection,  and  a  space  round  each  tree 
wherein  grass  should  be  hoed  for  some 
years. 

When  planted  as  orchard  or  groves 
it  would  be  advisable  to  keep  the  land 
planted  with  corn  or  hoed  crops.  Thick 
planting  is  advisable,  to  be  thinned  out 
by  degrees  to  the  proper  distance.  The 
thinnings  of  the  hickories  more  especi- 
ally would  sell  well  and  pay  for  the 
cultivation  till  the  trees  begin  to  bear. 

After  procuring  the  nuts  in  the  Fall 
they  should  not  be  allowed  to  dry  or 
shrivel  in  the  least.  If  not  convenient 
to  plant  at  once  where  they  are  to  stand 
they  should  be  mixed  with  sand  or 
light  mould  in  a  box  or  barrel  and  ex- 
posed to  the  freezing  and  thawing  of 
Winter,  to  be  planted  out  the  first 
thing  in  Spring,  as  is  usually  done  with 
peach-stones. 

Windsor  Nurseries,  Ont.,  Canada. 


Mulching  Strawberby  Plants. — A 
correspondent  of  the  Rural  World  advises  ■ 
fruit  growers  to  use  old  straw  for  a  mulch 
for  strawberries  when  applied  in  the  spring 
to  keep  down  weeds,  as  in  a  dry  time  the 
straw  does  not  settle  down  to  the  ground. 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


183 


THINNING  OF  FRUIT. 

A.  fruit  tree  cannot  bear  a  very 
heavy  crop  oftener  than  once  in  two 
years,  and  in  order  to  obtain  an  even- 
bearing  tree,  the  fruit  should  be  thinned 
very  freely  every  year.  This  would 
secure  not  only  very  even  crops  every 
year,  but  finer  and  superior  fruit. 
Thinning  is  easily  done  if  we  obtain  a 
slender  pole  with  a  hook-like  knife  at- 
tached, or  even  a  codfish  hook,  by  which 
the  extra  fruit  could  be  easily  cut  out. 
- — Michigan  Farmer. 

We  fear  that  there  will  be  little  occa- 
sion to  urge  upon  our  readers  the  prac- 
tice of  thinning  out  the  fruit  this  season, 
unless  it  be  in  the  matter  of  grapes, 
for  the  cold  easterly  storm  that  pre- 
vailed when  the  trees  were  in  blossom 
in  the  Niagara  District  has  thinned  the 
fruit  quite  too  severely  in  that  great 
fruit-growing  region. 


SALT  FOR  ASPARAGUS. 

Chas.  Hovey,  in  the  Massachusetts 
Ploughman,  takes  exception  to  the  gen- 
eral im})ressions  that  salt  is  essential, 
or  even  beneficial,  to  asparagus,  saying 
thousands  of  plants  are  annually  killed 
or  injured  by  its  application.  He  also 
says  that  our  ''mammoth"  specimens 
do  not  compare  with  some  grown  by 
the  ancients,  and  quotes  Pliny  as  say- 
ing "  there  was  a  vaiiety  which  grew 
near  Ravenna,  a  deep,  sandy  country, 
three  shoots  of  which  would  weigh  a 
pound." 

It  may  be  that  enough  salt  has  been 
applied  to  injure  aspai'agus,  but  we 
have  never  seen  an  instance.  It  is  a 
maritime  plant,  growing  naturally  in 
salt  marshes,  hence  not  likely  to  be  in- 
jured by  any  reasonable  application  of 
salt. 


TO  GET  RID  OF  MELON  BUGS. 

A.  Virginia  farmer,  as  soon  as  bugs 
appear  upon  his  melon  vines,  puts 
about  half  to  a  whole  gallon  of  shaq7 
sand  immediately  around  them,  and 
with  melons,  cucumbers  and  squashes 
found  it  a  sudden  and  sure  cure.  It 
is  supposed  the  heat  and  the  inability 
of  the  bugs  to  shelter  themselves  from 
the  hot  sun  by  going  into  the  ground, 
constitute  its  virtue  ',  at  any  rate,  in 
this  instance,  it  succeeded  perfectly  and 
gave  great  satisfaction.  Just  spread 
the  sand  as  if  putting  ashes  around 
grape  vines  or  fruit  trees. 

Will  some  of  our  readers  please  give 
the  above  remedy  a  trial,  and  report 
results  to  the  Canadian  Horticulturist  ? 
It  is  a  new  expedient  to  us,  and  we 
have  grave  doubts  as  to  its  success  with 
our  Canadian  melon  bugs,  and  yet  it  is 
so  easy  of  trial  and  inexpensive,  that  it 
would  be  interesting  to  know  whether 
it  will  succeed. 


ROOT  PRUNING  FOR  TOMATOES. 
Root  pruning  of  tomato  plants  is 
recommended  to  induce  early  maturity 
of  the  fruit.  While  the  plants  are 
young  tliey  are  ti"ansplanted  several 
times,  which  of  course  destroys  some 
of  the  roots  ;  and  after  they  are  put 
into  their  final  resting  place,  a  spade  is 
once  in  a  while  thrust  down  into  the 
ground  a  foot  or  so  from  the  main  stalk. 
In  this,  of  course,  size,  and  |)erhaps 
quality,  are  sacrificed  to  a  few  weeks 
earliness  ;  but  many  are  willing  to  pay 
this  penalty  for  the  sake  of  the  early 
dish.  Those  wishing  to  secure  an  early 
lipening  of  fruit  will  do  well  to  pi-ac- 
tice  this  system  of  root  pruning  upon  a 
portion  of  their  plants.  Tomato  plants 
produce  better  and  more  evenly  rii>ened 
fruit  when  afforded  some  support,  as  by 
stakes  or  trellises,  to  keep  vines  from 
the  ground. — iVew  York  Herald. 


184: 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  CANKER  WORM. 

This  destructive  pest  is  making  sad 
havock  in  some  of  the  apple  orchards 
of  Western  New  York.  It  is  there- 
fore quite  possible  that  some  of  our 
readers  will  find  the  enemy  at  work  in 
their  own  orchard,  and  will  be  glad  to 
read  the  following  which  we  clip  from 
the  Michigan  Farmer  on  fighting  the 
Canker  Worm. 

The  New  England  Farmer  recom- 
mends the  following  method  of  reducing 
the  numbers  of  the  Canker  Worm  : 

"  It  is  very  common  for  writers  on 
Canker  Worms  to  recommend  that  the 
trees  to  be  protected  be  treated  with 
printer's  ink  quite  frequently,  beginning 
in  October  or  November,  and  continuing 
the  practice  till  the  trees  are  leaved  out 
in  spring.  It  is  not  improbable  that 
the  moths  may  occasionally  mature 
sufficiently  in  their  pupa  skins  to  burst 
them  and  come  forth,  during  unusually 
mild  weather  in  autumn,  but  in  average 
years  the  number  that  come  out  of  the 
ground  before  spring  will  probably  be 
found  to  be  very  small.  Mr.  O.  A. 
Hillman,  whose  apple  orchard  is  one  of 
the  best  in  the  vicinity,  has  made  the 
habits  of  the  canker  worm  a  study, 
and  has  found  that  the  female  moths, 
which  are  wingless,  very  seldom  crawl 
up  the  trees  till  the  first  really  warm 
day  in  spring.  His  method  of  protec- 
tion is  printer's  ink,  spread  upon  strips 
of  paper  some  six  inches  wide,  which 
are  wound  round  the  trunks  of  the 
trees  and  fastened  by  two  or  more  car- 
pet tacks  it  each  end  of  the  band,  the 
paper  receiving  one  application  of  the 
ink  early  in  the  spring,  and  then  the 
trees  are  examined  every  warm  day  till 
the  moth  begins  to  move,  when  the  ink 
is  again  applied.  His  observations  lead 
him  to  believe  that  the  moths  move 
almost  solely  by  night,  and  that  the  | 


greater  portion  leave  the  ground  the 
same  night  and  immediately  following 
the  first  warm  day.  By  watching 
closely,  and  by  having  the  papers  all 
in  place  and  covered  by  one  application 
of  ink,  he  is  able  to  know  by  the  few 
scattering  moths  caught,  just  about  the 
right  time  to  give  them  a  sticky  path 
to  travel  in.  Last  spring  a  very  warm 
day  in  April  gave  promise  of  starting 
out  the  moths  in  full  numbers,  and  by 
painting  the  bands  of  the  entire  orchard 
one  afternoon,  he  was  enabled  the  next 
morning  to  see  nearly  the  whole  previ- 
ous year's  crop  of  moths  imprisoned  in 
the  sticky  mass.  The  number  which 
crawled  up  late  was  too  insignificant 
to  be  worth  paying  much  attention  to, 
unless  utter  extermination  of  the  species 
be  aimed  at,  which  would  be  an  under- 
taking of  no  small  moment  where  an 
orchard  is  surrounded  by  trees  belong- 
ing to  careless  neighbors. 

"At  the  close  of  the  pairing  season, 
the  tacks  are  drawn  out  from  one  end 
of  the  paper  bands,  and  they  are  allowed 
to  hang  loosely  during  the  growth  of 
the  tree  in  summer.  Before  winter  the 
papei-s  are  replaced,  and  if  the  trees  are 
now  too  large  to  be  encircled  by  the 
bands,  the  ink  is  brushed  over  the  in- 
tervening space  on  the  bark  itself." 


SALSIFY. 


Salsify,  or  Vegetable  Oyster,  is  one 
of  the  easiest  crops  to  raise,  and  every 
garden  should  have  a  row  or  so.  Salsify 
is  excellent,  fried  or  boiled.  If  boiled, 
it  should  be  scraped,  cut  in  half-inch 
pieces,  and  thrown  in  water  (made  acid 
with  a  little  vinegar)  immediately,  or 
the  pieces  will  turn  a  dark  color.  Boil 
for  half  an  hour,  and  add  milk,  salt, 
pepper  and  butter.  Our  readers  should 
try  this  really  delicious  vegetable, 
cooked  as  above.  The  culture  is  much 
the  same  as  that  for  parsnips  or  car- 
rots.    Sow  earli/   in   drills    10  inches 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


185 


apart,  and  thin  out  to  four  inches  apart 
in  the  drill.  It  may  remain  in  the 
ground  all  winter,  and  will  not  be  the 
worse  for  freezing. 


FERNS  AS  HOUSE-PLANTS. 

Ferns  for  window-plants  should  be 
such  good-growing  common  sorts  as 
cannot  fail  to  give  satisfaction ;  the 
finer  and  more  delicate  kinds,  and  those 
requiring  special  treatment,  should  not 
be  attempted,  unless  we  are  prepared 
to  give  them  the  care  they  demand. 
A  well-grown,  thrifty  Fern  is  always 
pretty,-  -a  scraggy,  sickly  thing  is  a 
miserable-looking  plant  indeed.  You 
can  grow  your  Geraniums,  Fuchsias, 
Mahernias,  Pinks,  Mignonette,  Petu- 
nias, and  Oxalis,  in  your  sunny  win- 
dows ;  Ferns  do  not  like  such  quarters, 
but  prefer  the  very  quarters  those 
flowering  plants  don't  like— namely, 
sunless  windows.  Ferns  like  lots  of 
light,  and  to  be  grown  near  the  glass, 
but  they  dislike  direct  sunshine.  Ferns 
may  be  grown  separately  in  pots,  or 
baskets,  or  in  the  same  pots  as  Calla 
Lilies  and  other  window-plants. 

Soil  for  Ferns. — Ordinary  observa- 
tion will  teach  us  that  different  Ferns 
require  different  soils  :  for  instance,  we 
go  into  the  woods  and  find  the  little 
Spleenworts  growing  in  the  chinks  of 
,  rocks,  the  Virginian  Chain-fern  in  wet 
swamps,  the  Hart's-tOngue  under  lime- 
stone cliffs,  the  i^ensitive  Fern  in  wet 
meadows,  and  evergreen  Acrostichums 
on  the  hill-sides.  Then,  again,  in  Cali- 
fornia and  Colorado  we  find  little  fari- 
nose and  crispy-leaved  Ferns  growing 
in  open  rocky  and  gravelly  places,  and 
so  on.  For  ordinary  Ferns  I  should 
advise  a  compost  of  turfy  loam  with 
the  finest  stuff  sifted  out  of  it,  old-leaf 
soil  and  i)eat  (that  is,  if  you  have  up- 
land peat ;  but  if  you  have  not,  do  not 
use  any),  in  equal  parts,  and  some  sharp 
sand.  Gross-growing  Ferns  like  a  little 
2 


manure.     Some  pounded  charcoal  is  a 
good  addition  to  the  soil. 

Watering  Ferns.^—Qf'xvQ  Ferns  lots  of 
water  at  all  times.  The  soil  should  be 
of  such  a  porous  nature  that  superfluous 
water  will  run  off  as  fast  as  received, 
but  care  should  be  taken  not  to  over- 
water  the  plants.  Ferns  like  to  be 
dewed  overhead )  gold  and  silver  and 
some  Maiden  Hair  Ferns,  when  they 
become  old  plants,  had  better  not  be 
watered  overhead,  but  young  ones  of 
them  are  assisted  by  dewing.  In  mild, 
showery  weather  in  spring  put  out  your 
plants  to  get  the  shower ;  it  will  do 
them  good ;  but  take  them  in  again. — 
Wm.  Falconer,  in  American  Garden. 

CHINESE  PEONIES. 
The  Chinese  Pseonies  are  so  valuable 
on  account  of  their  large  size,  beautiful 
coloring  and  delightful  fragrance,  and 
so  entirely  hardy  and  vigorous,  that  all 
should  have  at  least  a  White  and  a 
Pink  PsBony.  Fragrans  is  one  of  the 
best  Pink  varieties,  but  there  are  few 
exhibitions  that  present  such  a  wonder- 
ful combination  of  colors  as  a  bed  of 
Pseonies.  The  Paeonies  are  perfectly 
hardy,  never  suffering  injury  by  cold, 
and  will  succeed  in  any  ground,  unless 
so  wet  that  the  water  will  lie  on  the 
surface  in  the  winter  and  spring.  They 
may  be  planted  either  in  the  autumn 
or  spring,  and  are  transported  with 
greater  safety  than  almost  any  plant — . 
not  one  in  a  hundred  failing.  They  are. 
also  easily  increased  by  division  of  the. 
roots.  A  little  extra  attention  i^  the> 
way  of  manure  will  induce  a  vigorous, 
and  raj)id  growth.  We  do  not  know 
of  anything  that  injures  tie  Pceony,. 
except  starving  in  a  poor  soil  and  stand- 
ing water  dunng  the  cold  season.  For 
large  floral  decorations  few  of  our  flowers 
can  surpass  the  Pa?onies.  They  seem 
designed  for  a  grand  display,  without 
anything  cheap  or  gaudy  in  their  appear- 
ance.—  Yields  Floral  €uid^. 


186 


THE   CA.NADIAN   H0RTICULTTTRI8T. 


THE  WATERMELON. 
Hon.  C.  M.  Clay,  of  all  fruits,  most 
esteems  the  watermelon,  believing  them 
when  fully  matured  exceedingly  health- 
ful, and  keeping  down  tendencies  to 
fever.  He  says  the  meat  should  be  red, 
clear,  fine  grained,  tender  and  sweet, 
that  but  one  variety  should  be  planted 
at  a  time,  but  if  more  are  planted  they 
should  be  set  very  far  apart,  as  they 
hybridize  very  easily,  and  even  at  great 
distance,  the  wind  and  the  bees  convey 
the  pollen  of  one  variety  to  the  flowers 
of  another.  He  has  never  succeeded  in 
getting  two  first-class  crops  from  the 
same  ground  in  succession,  and  has 
found  blue  grass  sod  the  best  for  them, 
and  second  in  desirability  newly  cleared 
land.  He  recommends  as  fertilizer  sand 
mixed  with  the  vegetable  debris  of 
forests,  or  well  rotted  sods  from  fence 
corners  or  highways.  He  manages  the 
striped  bug  and  takes  care  of  the  vines 
in  the  following  manner.  "As  soon  as 
the  seed  are  planted  and  struck  with 
the  shovel  to  compact  the  surface,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  escape  of  moisture, 
I  place  shingles  upon  each  hill  to  trap 
the  striped  bug,  the  great  enemy  of  the 
vines.  They  seek  the  shelter  of  the 
shingles  in  the  cool  nights,  when  each 
evening  and  early  morning  they  must 
be  turned  over  and  the  bugs  killed  with 
a  paddle.  Many  persons  fail  to  raise 
melons  because  of  these  bugs,  which 
conceal  themselves  in  the  ground  and 
suck  the  juices  of  the  young  plants,  and 
may  never  be  seen  till  the  whole  crop 
is  destroyed.  An  old  melon  raiser  told 
me  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  making 
blazing  fires  in  his  melon  grounds  at 
night,  and  that  bugs  would  fall  into  the 
flames  and  be  killed ;  I  never  tried  it, 
finding  the  shingle  trap  sufficient.  As 
soon  as  the  plants  are  well  up  you  may 
begin  the  thinning,  till,  as  they  get 
past  the  chances  of  destruction  by  the 
bugs  and  their  leaves  are  well  formed, 
they  must  be  thinned  to  two  plants  in  a 


hill.  As  the  plants  advance,  the  weeds 
must  be  kept  well  under  before  the 
vines,  but  never  touch  behind  them,  as 
the  vine  will  not  admit  of  being  handled 
or  moved.  I  think  nearly  the  same 
weight  of  fruit  will  be  produced  with- 
out topping  or  shortening  the  vines, 
but  if  large  specimens  are  wanted,  after 
the  fruit  is  set,  the  ends  of  the  side 
shoots  and  the  main  runner  may  be 
pinched  oflf,  so  as  to  force  all  the  sap 
into  the  few  melons  left  for  maturity. 
It  is  best  to  cultivate  the  vines  late  in 
the  afternoon,  so  that  the  roots  injured 
by  the  cultvator,  plow  or  hoe,  can  have 
the  whole  night  to  recover  before  the 
sun  comes  upon  them.  When  ripe  they 
should  be  gathered  early  in  the  morning 
when  cool,  for  the  sun  gives  them  the 
dull  sound  which  maturity  produces. 
They  should  be  thumped  lightly  with 
the  finger  nail,  when,  if  they  sound  with 
a  metallic  ring,  seeming  to  pass  through 
the  whole  melon,  they  are  yet  green ; 
but  if  the  sound  is  dull  and  seemingly 
confined  to  the  rind,  the  melon  is  ripe. 
When  the  belly  next  the  gi'ound  is 
white,  or  the  curl  of  green  fresh  vines 
dead,  these  are  also  indications  of 
ripeness.  As  the  frequent  walking  to 
the  hills  to  kill  the  bugs  solidifies  the 
surface,  it  ought  to  be  lightly  hoed 
towards  the  end  of  this  operation.  No 
careless  persons  should  be  allowed  to 
enter  the  melon  grounds,  as  a  vine  trod 
upon  ceases  to  be  useful ;  and  the  one 
who  gathers  the  fruit  should  have  a 
long  stick  to  steady  himself,  and  to 
displace  the  leaves  to  find  a  place  for 
his  feet.  It  also  often  happens  that 
the  vines  on  clean  surfaces  find  nothing 
to  lay  hold  of  with  their  tendrils,  and 
are  blown  over  by  the  winds  and  se- 
verely injured.  In  such  case  they  should 
be  set  upright,  and  clods  placed  on  the 
leaves  to  steady  them,  or  small  sticks 
set  near  the  vines  for  the  tendrils  to  lay 
hold  of.  Avoid  walking  on  the  ground 
when  quite   wet,  and  never  hill  up  or 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


187 


reduce  the  height  of  the  soil  about  the 
stems  of  the  vines." 


PRUNING  THE  GRAPE-VINE. 

BY  GEO.    W.    CAMPBELL. 

The  objects  in  pruning  the  vine  are 
mainly  to  keep  it  within  reasonable 
space  and  control ;  to  induce  a  new 
growth  of  healthy  and  strong  bearing 
wood  ;  and  to  regulate  the  quantity  and 
improve  the  quality  of  the  fruit.  The 
best  time  to  do  the  principal  pruning 
is  in  the  Autumn,  as  soon  as  practicable 
after  the  falling  of  the  leaves,  and  when 
the  energies  of  the  vine  are  dormant. 
If  the  little  Summer  pruning  and  pinch- 
ing that  are  necessary  have  been  pro- 
perly attended  to,  there  will  be  only 
required  in  the  Fall  to  cut  out  the  old 
bearing  wood  of  the  current  year  and 
to  shorten  the  new  canes  which  have 
been  gi-own  for  the  next  year's  bearing, 
in  order  to  occupy  their  appointed 
spaces  upon  the  trellis,  the  wall,  the 
stake  or  the  arbor  upon  which  they  are 
to  be  trained.  And  for  all  partially 
tender  varieties,  and  for  all  localities 
subject  to  excessive  cold  in  winter,  it  is 
better  to  lay  down  the  canes  upon  the 
ground  after  pruning.  Where  the 
ground  is  covered  with  snow  during  the 
severest  weather,  simply  pegging  or 
fastening  the  canes  upon  the  surface  of 
the  ground  is  all  that  is  needed  ;  but  in 
other  places  a  light  covering  of  earth  or 
of  leaves  is  necessary  in  addition  for 
perfect  protection.  It  is  the  testimony 
of  some  old,  practical  vineyardists  that 
vines  so  treated  make  a  healthier  and 
stronger  growth  and  bear  much  finer 
and  more  abundant  fruit.  A  very  suc- 
cessful grape-grower  in  Southern  Ohio 
recently  declared  that  vines  pruned 
early  in  Autumn  and  slightly  protected 
during  the  suceeding  winter  bore  twenty- 
five  per  cent,  more  and  better  fruit  than 
vines  that  were  left  unpnmed  upon  the 
trellis  until  Spnng.  All  methods  of 
pruning  the  vine  are  based  upon  the 


fact  that  the  fruit  buds  for  the  next 
year's  bearing  are  formed  upon  the  wood 
grown  the  present  year  ;  hence  as  much 
as  practicable  of  the  old  and  past-bear- 
ing wood  should  be  be  taken  out  at  the 
annual  pruning. 

In  my  own  practice,  I  prefer  what  is 
called  the  "  annual  renewal  system," 
which  allows  a  young  vine  in  its  first 
fruiting  to  bear  no  more  than  it  can 
bring  to  maturity,  and  at  the  same 
time  grow  one  or  more  strong  and 
healthy  canes  from  as  near  the  ground 
as  practicable  for  next  year's  bearing. 
The  bearing  wood  of  the  present  year 
is  cut  away  and  the  new  wood  takes  its 
place.  This  practice,  with  slight  modi- 
fications, is  continued  during  the  life  of 
the  vine,  is  readily  understood  and  ap- 
plied, and  a  little  observation  and  ex- 
perience render  it  quite  simple  and  easily 
performed. 

A  cultivated  vine  is  in  an  artificial 
condition,  and  all  its  energies  are 
directed  toward  the  production  of  the 
greatest  quantity  of  fruit  within  its 
allotted  space;  and  some  vines  respond 
so  readily  to  this  artificial  treatment 
that  they  are  disposed  to  overbear,  and 
set  more  fruit  than  they  can  mature. 
Attempting  to  grow  too  much  fruit 
may  so  overtax  the  powers  of  the  vine 
that  it  can  neither  ripen  its  grapes  nor 
mature  its  wood  perfectly  for  next 
year's  bearing.  Vines  so  treated  are 
unhealthy  and  short-lived.  It  is  better, 
however,  to  avoid  the  evil  of  over- 
bearing by  thinning  out  the  fruit, 
especially  all  the  small  and  imperfect 
bunches,  than  by  too  close  prunirg; 
for  an  abundance  of  healthy  foliage 
is  necessary  for  the  ripening  i)rocess. 

The  Summer  treatment  consists  in 
thinning  out  the  fruit  upon  vines  dis- 
posed to  overbear ;  early  pinching  off 
the  ends  of  fruit-bearing  shoots  two  or 
three  joints  beyond  the  last  cluster, 
and    then    removing    all     superfluous 


188 


THE   CANADIAN    H0KTICULTXJEI8T. 


shoots  except  what  are  started  from 
below  and  are  needed  for  next  year's 
bearing.  This,  with  an  occasional 
pinching  of  the  end  of  a  too  rampant 
shoot  will  be  all  that  is  required.  And 
when  one  has  learned  so  to  gauge  the 
capacities  of  his  vines  as  to  bring  each 
year  his  crop  of  fruit  to  perfect  ma- 
turity, and  at  the  same  time  have  a 
sufficiency  of  sound  wood  for  the  next 
year's  crop,  he  has  learned  all  that  is 
necesssry  for  successful  grape  culture. 
— Rural  New-Yorker. 

SPINACH. 

For  winter  and  spring  "  Greens," 
Spinach  takes  a  front  rank  in  every 
well-managed  kitchen-garden,  and,  in 
the  vicinity  of  large  cities,  it  is  also  a 
profitable  crop  for  market. 

Spinach  needs  a  deep,  rich  soil  to 
produce  maximum  crops,  for  it  can  only 
be  grown  with  profit  on  land  that  is 
well  drained  and  highly  manured.  For 
a  succession,  the  seed  may  be  sown  early 
in  April  and  again  in  May — for  the 
principal  crop  from  the  first  to  the 
middle  of  September,  or  late  enough  to 
become  about  half-grown  before  cold 
weather  sets  in. 

A  piece  of  land  from  which  a  summer 
crop  has  been  taken  is  most  suitable. 
Before  sowing,  the  ground  should  be 
well  manured,  thoroughly  pulverized, 
and  the  surface  leveled.  The  rows  are 
then  marked  out,  twelve  to  fifteen 
inches  apart,  with  a  garden  '*  marker," 
or  by  stretching  a  line,  and  making 
drills  with  a  hoe.  The  seed  may  be 
sown  in  the  garden  by  hand,  and  in  the 
field  with  a  seed-drill,  using  five  or  six 
pounds  to  the  acre.  A  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  seed  will  sow  enough  for 
home  use.  With  this,  as  with  most 
other  seeds,  it  is  important  to  firm  the 
soil,  after  covering,  with  a  roller,  or  by 
packing  with  a  spade  or  board.  A& 
soon  as  the  plants  are  large  enough, 


they  should  be  hoed  and  thinned  out 
where  too  thick.  What  is  wanted  for 
home  use  in  midwinter  should  be 
mulched  lightly  with  salt  hay,  forest 
leaves,  or  straw,  to  a  depth  of  two  or 
three  inches;  this  is  sufficient  to  pro- 
tect the  leaves  from  injury  by  frost. 
Or  if  the  Spinach  has  grown  to  full 
size  in  the  fall,  it  may  be  kept  very 
well  by  cutting  it,  then  placing  it  three 
or  four  inches  thick  in  a  frame,  and 
covering  it  with  a  sash  and  a  little  rub- 
bish. The  covering  of  the  0])en  beds 
should  not  be  removed  before  the  leaves 
commence  to  grow. 

The  main  crop  is  cut  during  April 
and  May.  When  the  soil  is  rich,  and 
proper  care  has  been  given,  a  barrel  of 
Spinach  can  be  cut  from  a  square  rod 
of  ground. 

The  Round-leaved  is  the  most  popular 
variety  for  home  use  as  well  as  for  mar- 
ket. It  is  perfectly  hardy,  standing  our 
severest  winters  with  but  little  injury, 
and  is  of  the  best  quality. 

The  Prickly  or  Fall  variety  is  said  to 
be  more  hardy  than  the  round,  although 
there  is  but  little  difference  in  this 
respect.  It  is  used  principally  for  fall 
sowing,  but  does  equally  well  when 
sown  in  spring. 

Savoy-leaved  has  a  large  curled  or 
crumpled  leaf  like  Savoy  Cabbage,  is 
very  hardy,  and  produces  a  heavier  crop 
than  the  other  sorts.  It  is  especially 
adapted  for  late  fall  sowing. — The 
Artier ican  Garden. 


THE  TUNISIAN'S  PASSION  FOR 
FLOWERS. 

The  Tunisian  Arabs  have  a  passion 
for  flowers,  and  as  soon  as  their  spring 
commences  even  the  poorest  and  rag- 
gedest  may  be  seen  with  a  delicately 
scented  blossom  stuck  above  his  ear, 
the  stalk  resting  amid  the  folds  of  his 
turban,  and  the  flower  projecting  for- 
ward over  his  dark  cheek.    I  have  been 


THE   CANADIAN   H0ETICULTUBI8T. 


189 


told  by  those  who  have  had  thirty 
years'  knowledge  of  these  people  that 
they  will  almost  go  without  bread  to 
buy  flowers.  And  there  is  something 
in  the  sight  of  a  gaunt,  toil-worn  Arab, 
whose  sole  garments  may  consist  of  a 
piece  of  coarse  sacking  and  a  ragged 
old  turban,  with  a  bunch  of  delicate 
spring  blossoms  drooi)ing  their  cool 
freshness  against  his  swarthy  cheek, 
which  stirs  a  strange  mingling  of  sym- 
pathy and  pity  and  admiration. — All 
the  Year  Bound. 


THE  RUSSIAN  MULBERRY  TREE. 

This  tree  was  introduced  into  the 
United  States  by  the  Mennonites,-a  sect 
which  formerly  lived  in  Germany,  but 
who  emigrated  because  the  German  gov- 
ernment insisted  upon  their  serving  in 
the  army,  which  their  religious  scruples 
forbade  their  doing.  The  Czar  of  Rus- 
sia ofiered  them  a  tract  of  land  for 
settlement  in  1800,  and  agreed  to  ex- 
empt them  from  military  duty.  From 
Russia  a  goodly  number  have  emigrated 
to  this  country  and  settled  in  Kansas, 
Dakota  and  Nebraska.  The  mulberry 
tree  was  introduced  into  the  colonies  in 
Russia  by  the  Czar,  for  the  purpose  of 
silk  culture.  He  compelled  the  Men- 
nonitesto  buy  these  trees  of  government. 
Each  land  holder  must  plant  a  certain 
number.  After  cultivating  them  until 
they  learned  their  value  they  voluntarily 
propagated  these  trees  very  extensively, 
and  learned  that  silk  culture  was  not 
the  only  consideration  in  raising  them. 
They  found  the  timber  very  desirable 
fuel.  It  also  furnished  the  finest  ma- 
terial for  cabinet  work,  and  fence  posts 
made  from  it  would  outlast  those  made 
from  any  other  timber.  The  tree  soon 
became  tlie  most  highly  prized  of  any 
Russian  timber  tree.  It  also  bore  edible 
fruit  which  was  marketable  in  Russia. 
When  the  Mennonites  came  to  this 
country  they  brought  the  seed  of  this 


mulberry  with  them.  They  brought 
the  seed  of  several  other  trees,  but 
planted  these  more  extensively  than  all 
others  combined.  They  grew  quite 
rapidly.  Trees,  the  seed  of  which  was 
planted  six  years  ago,  are  now  twenty 
feet  high  and  large  enough  for  fence 
posts.  The  tree  resembles  the  apple 
tree  in  its  habits  of  growth.  The  Rus- 
sians say  that  they  grow  quite  large, 
often  reaching  the  height  of  forty  feet, 
and  from  three  to  five  feet  in  diameter. 
They  bear  fruit  very  young,  frequently 
commencing  when  two  years  old,  and 
bear  every  year.  It  varies  in  flavor 
from  sub  acid  to  sweet,  color  jet  black 
and  reddish  white,  ninety  per  cent, 
being  black.  The  bark  is  grayish  white, 
and  branches  drooping.  The  Mennon- 
ites also  use  it  as  a  hedge  plant,  and  it 
makes  a  beautiful  hedge  and  stands 
shearing  as  well  as  any  tree. 


SHAFFER'S   COLOSSAL  RASPBERRY. 

President  T.  T.  Lyon,  of  the  Michi- 
gan Pomological  Society,  thus  speaks 
of  this  newest  novelty  in  raspberries  : 

"Last  spring  I  received  for  trial, 
plants  of  the  Shafier  Raspberry.  Its 
growth  from  last  spring  '  tips '  would 
seem  to  justify  the  title  Colossal  some- 
times imposed  upon  it.  Judging  from 
its  habit,  as  well  as  from  the  color,  tex- 
ture, and  flavor  of  the  fruit,  I  am  led 
to  consider  it  a  hybrid  between  our 
two  natives,  Occidentalis  and  Strigosus. 
It  ripened  a  few  berries,  on  canes  of 
the  current  year,  about  the  middle  of 
August,  1881.  It  seems  to  possess 
much  more  than  the  usual  vigor  of 
Occidentalis ;  and,  so  far,  roots  from 
tips  only.  The  foliage,  as  well  as  the 
wood  growth,  is  very  vigorous  and 
healthy.  Fruit  large,  dark  purplish- 
red,  with  a  very  slight  bloom.  Tex- 
ture rather  firm,  moderately  juicy,  with 
a  rich,  acid,  sprightly  flavor." — Rural 
New-Yorker. 


190 


THE   CANADIAN  HORTICULTURIST. 


THE    SUCCESSFUL    EXHIBITION    OF 
CANADIAN  FRUIT  IN  GERMANY. 

Yesterday  afternoon,  in  connection 
with  the  anticipated  increase  in  immi- 
gration from  Germany,  reference  was 
made  to  a  letter  received  by  the  secre- 
tary of  the  Horticultural  Society.  Mr. 
Evans  to-day  sends  us  the  letter  : — 

Sir, — The  directors  of  this  Society 
will  be  glad  to  have  you  give  publicity  to 
the  following  letter  relative  to  the  collec- 
tion of  apples  sent  to  Germany  lately 
by  the  Association.  As  Mr.  Munder- 
loh  observed,  the  Germans  being  a 
thoughtful  people  will  speedily  decide 
that  a  country  producing  such  fruit 
cannot  be  the  barren,  inhospitable  re- 
gion that  interested  parties  have  sought 
to  make  out.  This  Society  would  be 
able  to  make  collections  of  fruit  from 
time  to  time  as  it  arrived  at  maturity 
the  coming  season  at  very  trifling  cost 
to  the  conntry. 

I  may  state  that  the  last  shipment  of 
fruit  was  made  in  the  patent  cases  fur- 
nished by  Mr.  George  A.  Cochrane  for 
the  purpose.  The  safe  arrival  of  this 
fruit  at  its  destination  goes  far  to  show 
that  our  delicate  fruits  can  be  trans- 
ported to  distant  markets  in  prime  con- 
ditioti  if  properly  packed  and  picked. 
Yours  respectfully, 

Henry  S.  Evans, 

Sec^y  and  Treaa. 
Montreal,  Dec.  15,  1881. 

Reutbiegen,  Wurtemburg,  Germany, 
November  21st,  1881. 

Sir, — I  received  with  a  letter  of 
Mr.  Munderloh  a  collection  of  apples 
which  you  had  the  kindness  to  hand  to 
him  for  me.  It  arrived  at  the  moment 
as  I  was  opening  the  exhibition  of  the 
objects  brought  over  by  the  Geneva 
delegates  from  their  journey  through 
Canada.  It  received  the  highest  ap- 
probation from  all  judges,  especially 
from  Dr.  Lucas,  the  principal  of  the 
Pomological  Institute  at  this  place,  to 
which  gentleman   I  presented   the  ex- 


ports of  your  society.  I  presented  them 
also  to  our  Department  of  Agriculture. 
As  agent  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada 
in  this  country,  I  think  of  continuing 
a  permanent  exhibition  of  Canadian 
products  for  stimulating  and  encourag- 
ing emigration  to  Canada,  and  I  will 
be  very  grateful  to  you  if  you  will 
assist  me  for  the  coming  year  by  send- 
ing such  excellent  fruits.  It  is  the 
best  way  to  direct  attention  to  Canada. 
The  reports  of  our  newspapers  about 
the  exhibition  of  Canadian  products 
have  expressed  themselves  in  very  com- 
plimentary words. 

I  am,  yours  obediently, 

(Signed)     Dr.  Otto  Hahn. 
— Montreal  Witness. 

FRUIT-TREE  CULTURE. 

1.  Instead  of  "  trimming  up  "  trees, 
according  to  the  old  fashion,  to  make 
them  long-legged  and  long-armed,  trim 
them  down,  so  as  to  make  them  even, 
snug  and  symmetrical. 

2.  Instead  of  manuring  heavily  in  a 
small  circle  at  the  foot  of  the  tree, 
spread  the  manure,  if  needed  at  all, 
broadcast  over  the  whole  surface,  especi- 
ally where  the  ends  of  the  roots  can  get 
it. 

3.  Instead  of  spading  a  small  circle 
about  the  stem,  cultivate  the  whole  sur- 
face broadcast. 

4.  Prefer  a  well  pulverized,  clean  sur- 
iiice,  in  an  orchard  with  a  moderately 
rich  soil,  to  heavy  manuring  and  a 
surface  covered  with  a  hard  crust  and 
weeds  or  grass. 

5.  Remember  that  it  is  better  to  set 
out  ten  trees  with  all  the  necessary  care 
to  make  them  live  and  flourish,  than  to 
set  out  a  hundred  trees  and  have  them 
all  die  from  carelessness. 

6.  Remember  that  tobacco  is  a  poison, 
and  will  kill  insects  rapidly,  if  properly 
applied  to  them,  and  is  one  of  the  best 
drugs  for  freeing  fruit  trees  rapidly  of 
small   vermin — and   is  better  used  in 


THE   CANADIAN   H0ETICULTUKI8T. 


191 


this  way  than  to  make  men  repulsive 
and  diseased. 

CONTINUOUS  DAYLIGHT  AND 
VEGETATION. 

Dr.  Schubeler,  of  Christiana,  who 
has  been  studying  the  effect  of  continu- 
ous daylight  on  vegetation,  finds  that 
flowers  growing  within  and  about  the 
Arctic  circle  are  larger  and  deeper  in 
color  than  corresponding  species  grow- 
ing further  south.  This  is  the  case 
with  garden  flowers  and  such  plants  as 
field  peas,  beans,  etc.  Not  only  have 
the  size  and  colors  of  flowers  thus  de- 
veloped by  the  continuous  sunlight, 
but  their  aroma  is  also  intensified. 
This  applies  to  all  parts  of  the  plant. 
The  intensification  of  the  flavor  of 
savory  garden  plants  renders  some  of 
them  almost  uneatable  in  Scandinavia. 
All  the  wild  and  cultivated  fruits  that 
can  be  ripened  at  all  in  Norway  have 
more  aroma  and  characteristic  flavor 
than  those  which  are  grown  further 
south.  The  strawberries,  chen'ies,  bil- 
berries, and  other  wild  marsh  and  wood 
berries,  all  exemplify  this. 

Yet  the  increase  of  aroma  and  height- 
ening  of  flavor  are  accompanied  with 
diminished  sweetness  in  going  north. 
The  golden-drop  plum  and  greengage  of 
Christiana  or  Trondhjem,  although 
large,  well  colored  and  rich  in  aroma, 
are  deficient  in  sweetness.  In  like 
manner,  the  Rheinish,  and  other  north- 
ern vineyards  produce  wines  of  finer 
aroma  and  flavor  than  those  of  Spain 
and  Portugal,  but  they  are  less  alcoholic, 
on  account  of  the  smaller  quantity  of 
sugar  which,  by  its  fermentation,  pro- 
duces the  alcohol.  Therefore,  it  is 
inferred  that  the  light  produces  aroma, 
and  heat  produces  sweetness.  Another 
theory  is  that  the  difference  is  all  due 
to  time  ;  that  in  the  north  the  con- 
tinuous daylight,  and  the  day-heat  also, 
develop  the  fruit  so  i-apidly  that  there 
is  not  sufficient  time  for  the  convei*sion 


of  the  starch  and  woody  fibre  into  sugar 
to  be  fully  effected.  The  same  fact  is 
seen  in  the  ripening  of  pears.  Many 
of  these  when  gathered  in  the  autumn 
are  hard  and  sour,  but  become  lusci- 
ously sweet  by  merely  storing  them 
away  until  December  or  January,  or 
even  later.  Oranges  and  other  fruits 
sweeten  in  like  manner  after  they  are 
gathered,  without  the  help  of  any  no- 
table amount  of  either  light  or  heat. 
The  summer  in  Norway  begins  so  late 
and  ends  so  early  that  the  snow  often 
falls  upon  the  cherries  before  they  are 
gathered. — Florida  Dispatch. 


HOUSE  PLANTS. 

A  correspondent  writes : — I  will  give 
you  the  benefit  of  my  experience  in 
keeping  house  plants  just  received  from 
the  greenhouse.  It  may  be  of  benefit 
to  some  one  who  is  not  able  to  have  a 
glass  case  for  their  plants. 

I  had  a  frame  made  of  lath,  three 
feet  long,  two  feet  high,  with  a  shallow 
tray  in  which  the  frame  just  fitted.  I 
set  out  my  plants  in  pots,  placed  them 
in  the  tray,  then  watered  my  plants, 
but  not  so  that  the  water  leaked  into  the 
saucers.  I  then  paste  newspapers  on 
the  frame  and  place  it  over  the  plants, 
and  they  need  no  more  attention  for  a 
week,  except  sprinkling  the  plants  once 
a  day.  After  I  have  kept  them  covered 
for  a  week,  I  remove  the  frame  for  an 
hour  each  day,  extending  the  time  until 
they  get  used  to  the  temperature  of  the 
room ;  and  the  frame  is  very  serviceable 
to  place  over  them  at  night,  or  when  we 
are  sweei)ing,  or  when  the  room  gets 
too  hot  or  too  cold, — the  best  way  I 
have  ever  known  to  preserve  even  tem* 
perature.  I  placed  them  in  the  sun  at 
the  south  window ;  they  never  wilted. 
I  had  twenty-five  plants — Daphnes, 
Geraniums,  Pelargoniums,  Fuchsias, 
Heliotroj^es,  Lantanas,  Bouvardias, 
Abutilons.  I  have  not  lost  one. — 
Western  Horticulturist. 


192 


tSE   CANADIAN   SORTICULTUElST. 


DEACON  DAY  AND  THE  HIGHWAY 
COW. 

The  best  o'  bein's  will  hev  their  cares — 
There's  alwus  somethin'  to  cross  our  way, 
To  worry  and  fret  us  in  our  affairs — 
An'  sech  wus  the  lot  o*  old  Deacon  Day ; 
He  had  his  trials — I'll  tell  you  how 
He  was  tempted  an'  tried  by  a  highway  coW. 

The  hue  o'  her  hide  wus  a  dusky  brown  : 
Her  body  was  lean,  an'  her  neck  was  slim; 
One  horn  turned  up,  and  the  other  down  ; 
She  wus  sharp  o'  sight,  and  wus  long  o*  limb, 
With  a  peaked  nose,  and  a  short  stump  tail, 
And  ribs  like  the  hoops  on  a  home-made  pail. 

Many  a  day  hed  she  passed  in  pounds 

Ji*ur  meanly  helpin'  herself  to  corn. 

Many  a  cowardly  cur  and  hound 

Had  been  transfixed  by  her  crumpled  horn, 

Many  a  tea-pot  and  old  tin  pail 

Had  the  farm  boys  tied  to  her  stumpy  tail. 

Old  Deacon  Day  was  a  pious  man, 

A  frugal  farmer,  upright  and  plain  ; 

And  many  a  weary  mile  he  ran 

To  drive  her  out  o'  his  growin'  grain. 

Sharp  were  the  pranks  that  she  used  to  play 

To  git  her  fill  and  to  git  away. 

He  used  to  sit  on  the  Sabbath  day 
With  his  open  Bible  upon  his  knee, 
Thinkin'  o'  loved  ones  far  away, 
In  the  better  land  that  he  longed  to  see- 
When  a  distant  beller,  borne  thro*  the  air, 
Would  bring  him  back  to  this  world  o'  care. 

When  the  Deacon  went  to  his  church  in  town, 

She  watched  and  waited  till  he  went  by, 

He  never  passed  her  without  a  frown, 

And  an  evil  gleam  in  each  angry  eye. 

He  would  crack  his  whip  and  would  holler  "  Whay" 

Ez  he  drove  along  in  his  "  one-hoss  shay." 

Then  at  the  homestead  she  loved  to  call, 
Liftin'  his  bars  with  her  crumpled  horn, 
Nimbly  seal  in'  his  garden  wall, 
Helpin'  herself  to  his  standin'  com, 
Eatin'  his  cabbages  one  by  one— 
Scamperin'  h(»me  when  her  meal  was  done 

Off'en  the  Deacon  homeward  came, 
Hummin'  a  hymn  from  the  house  of  prayer. 
His  kindly  heart  in  a  tranquil  frame. 
His  soul  ez  calm  ez  the  evenin'  air, 
His  forehead  smooth  ez  a  well  worn  plough- 
To  find  in  his  garden  that  highway  cow. 

Over  his  garden,  round  and  round, 
Breakin'  his  pear  and  apple  trees, 
Trampin'  his  melons  into  the  ground, 
Tippin'  over  his  hives  of  bees. 
Levin'  him  angry  and  badly  stung, 
Wishin'  the  old  cow's  neck  was  wrung. 

The  mosses  grew  on  the  garden  wall ; 
The  years  went  by,  with  their  work  and  play  ; 
The  boys  of  the  village  grew  strong  and  tall. 
And  the  gray-haired  farmers  dropped  away. 
One  by  one  ez  the  red  leaves  fall- 
But  the  liighway  cow  outlived  them  all. 

The  things  we  hate  are  the  last  to  fade. 

Some  cares  are  lengthened  through  many  years  ; 

The  death  of  the  wicked  seems  long  delayed, 

But  there  is  a  climax  to  all  careers. 

And  the  highway  cow  at  last  was  slain 

In  runnin'  a  race  with  a  railway  train. 


All  to  pieces  at  once  she  went, 
Just  like  a  savin's  bank  when  they  fail ; 
Out  of  the  world  she  was  swiftly  sent, 
Leetle  was  left  but  her  own  stump  tail. 
The  farmers'  gardens  and  corn  fields  now 
Are  haunted  no  more  by  the  highway  cow. 

Eugenie  J.  Hall. 


Lemon  Ice. — Soak  half  of  one  box  of 
gelatine  in  a  pint  of  cold  water,  put  it  in 
a  porcelain  kettle,  pour  on  nearly  one  pint 
of  boiling  water  ;  when  the  gelatine  is 
dissolved,  put  in  two-thirds  of  a  coffee-cup 
of  white  sugar  and  a  half  a  coffee-cup 
lemon  sugar  boiling  long  enough  to  make 
jelly  ;  remove  from  the  fire,  then  pour  in, 
slowly,  three  beaten  yolks  of  eggs,  the 
whites  of  the  eggs  beaten  to  a  froth  ; 
flavor  with  two  teaspoonfuls  extract  lemon  ; 
pour  into  a  mold  and  set  to  cool.  This 
IS  a  delicious  desert,  nourishing  and  relish- 
able  for  the  convalescing  siok. 

Fences.  —  According  to  the  Prairie 
Farmer,  40  rods  of  rail  fence,  in  con- 
struction and  repairs,  costs  in  11  years 
(after  which  it  is  supposed  to  be  worn 
out),  together  with  5  per  cent,  interest, 
$110.  Board  fence,  40  rods  as  above, 
costs  $80.  Hedge  fence,  40  rods  as  above, 
$164.  Steel  wire  netting,  40  rods  as 
above,  $73  85.  In  our  opinion,  100  acres 
will  require  about  500  rods  of  fence,  cost- 
ing here  nearly  $1,000,  besides  occupying 
considerable  soil.  The  interest  on  the 
$1,000,  the  annual  cost  of  repairs,  the  use 
of  the  waste  land,  and  the  excess  of  feed 
secured  by  mowing  one's  pasturing,  will 
much  more  than  pay  the  wages  of  help  to 
care  for  stock  kept  in  stables  and  yards. 
We  consider  farm  fences  a  relic  of  bar- 
barism, and  confidently  look  forward  to 
the  time  when  our  farms  will  be  made 
conspicuously  attractive  by  their  absence. 
A  fenced  yard  or  field  cannot  be  made  so 
attractive  as  one  unfenced,  though  mil- 
lions are  invested.  They  are  ruinously 
expensive  to  farmers,  are  perpetual  abomi- 
nation, and  should  be  converted  to  ashes, 
in  which  form  they  can  accomplish  some 
good.  Of  all  fences,  the  stone  wall  is  the 
most  vexatious.  Every  passing  hunter  sets 
it  crumbling  as  he  scrambles  over,  and 
when  in  ruins  what  shall  be  done  ?  If  you 
don't  want  the  fence  again  it  is  worse  than 
the  old  man  of  the  sea  who  clung  so  per- 
sistently to  the  back  of  Sinbad,  the  Sailor. 


PRINTED  AT  THE  STEAM  PRESS  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  COFP,  CLARK  ft  CO.,  COLBORNE  8TREF.T,  TORONTO. 


9iK€ML  FEAR  AND  ORIGINAL  TttEE 

A  PENNSYLVANIA  SEEDLING  ♦V^S-i- 


THE 


VOL.  v.] 


SEPTEMBER,  1882. 


[No.  9. 


THE   SECKEL  PEAE. 


Our  readers  are  presented  this  month 
with  an  accurate  colored  picture  of  the 
venerable  original  pear  tree  from  which 
the  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of 
Seckel  Pear  trees  now  growing  in 
Canada  and  the  United  States  have 
sprung.  It  is  a  tree  to  be  held  in  re- 
membrance, one  to  which  the  lovers  of 
pears  of  high  quality  might  well  make 
a  pilgrimage,  and  standing  with  bared 
heads  in  the  presence  of  this  ancient 
tree,  reverently  look  up  upon  its  tim^ 
scarred  branches,  and  count  the  genera- 
tions that  have  gathered  its  luscious 
fruit  for  mayhap  two  centuries  gone. 
This  picture  is  copied  from  a  photo- 
graph taken  in  1880,  and  published  in 
the  Gardener's  MontJdy  for  September 
of  that  year.  At  that  time  the  trunk 
was  a  mere  shell,  one-half  of  it  entirely 
gone,  but  Mr.  Bastian,  the  owner,  who 
first  knew  it  forty  years  ago,  said  it 
was  much  the  same  when  he  first  knew 
the  tree  as  now.  It  measured  at  three 
feet  six  inches  from  the  ground,  five 
feet  four  and  a  half  inches  in  girth 
around  the  half  trunk  and  across  the 
exposed  diameter,  and  was  twenty  six 
feet  high.  No  one  knows  who  planted 
this   old   pear   tree.     Perhaps   it  was 


never  planted,  but  Topsy-like,  it 
*'  growed ;"  and  the  imaginative  reader 
may  draw  such  portrait  as  fancy  pleases 
of  the  one  who  dropped  the  seed  in  the 
fertile  soil,  in  the  long  time  ago,  whence 
sprang  this  tree.  Downing  says  that 
the  late  venerable  Bishop  White  used 
to  say  that  when  he  was  but  a  lad,  a 
well-known  cattle  dealer  of  Philadel- 
phia, known  as  "  Dutch  Jacob,"  used 
in  the  early  autumn  to  present  his 
neighbors  with  pears  of  an  unusually 
delicious  flavor,  but  would  never  divulge 
the  place  where  they  were  procured. 
In  coui-se  of  time  "  Dutch  Jacob  "  pur- 
chased from  the  Holland  Land  Com- 
pany the  parcel  of  ground  on  which 
stood  his  favorite  pear  tree ;  but  as  time 
rolled  on  it  came  at  length  into  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Seckel,  who  introduced 
the  pear  to  public  notice,  and  after 
whom  it  was  named.  The  farm  now 
belongs  to  Mr.  Bastian,  who  has  owned 
it  for  more  than  forty  yeai-s,  and  was 
told  when  he  moved  there  that  the 
Seckel  family  had  known  the  tree  for 
eighty  years  before. 

In  1 81 9  this  pear  was  sent  to  Europe, 
and  the  fruit  pronounced  by  the  Lon- 
don Horticultural  Society  to  exceed  in 


194 


TIIR   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


flavor  the  richest  of  their  autumn  pears. 
Downing,  who  is  esteemed  to  be  the 
highest  authority  in  regard  to  American 
fruits,  thus  speaks  of  this  pear  :— 

"  We  do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  this 
American  Pear  tlie  richest  and  most  ex- 
quisitely flavored  variety  known.  In  its 
highly  concentrated,  spicy  and  honeyed 
flavor  it  is  not  surpassed,  nor  indeed 
equalled,  by  any  European  variety.  When 
we  add  to  this  that  the  tree  is  the  healthiest 
and  hardiest  of  all  pear  trees,  forming  a 
fine,  compact,  symmetrical  head,  and  bear- 
ing regular  and  abundant  crops  in  clusters 
at  the  ends  of  the  branches,  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  we  consider  no  garden  complete 
without  it.  Indeed,  we  think  it  indis- 
pensable in  the  smallest  garden.  The 
stout,  short-jointed,  olive-brown  colored 
wood  distinguishes  this  variety,  as  well  as 
the  peculiar  reddish-brown  color  of  the 
fruit.  The  soil  should  receive  a  top- 
dressing  of  manure  frequently  when  the 
size  of  the  pear  is  an  object." 

We  have  found  this  tree  to  be  quite 
hardy  in  our  Canadian  climate,  and 
remarkably  free  from  the  disease  known 
as  pear-blight.  Once  or  twice  in  the 
course  of  twenty  years  have  we  seen 
some  of  the  twigs  on  the  Seckel  suflTer- 
ing  from  the  blight;  but  while  other 
varieties  have  perished  and  passed  out  of 
sight,  this  has  continued  to  flourish  and 
yield  its  annual  crop  of  delicious  fruit. 


The  Manchester  Strawberry. — It 
can  but  be  described  in  a  single  word — 
"wonderful."  So  fine,  so  beautiful,  so 
firm,  so  highly  flavored  and  highly  per- 
fumed, and  so  enormously  productive. 
Plants  planted  but  last  August  forming 
stools  as  large  as  a  half -bushel  measure, 
producing  fruit  in  such  quantities  as  to  be 
literally  piled  about  the  plants. — Farm 
and  Garden. 


A  MARKET  FOR  ONTARIO  APPLES. 
The  following  letter  is  from  a  life 
member  of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Associ- 
ation of  Ontario,  who  has  for  some 
time  been  endeavoring  to  open  a  trade 
with  the  Fruit  Growers  of  this  Pro- 
vince. He  wants  only  first-class  fruit, 
free  from  blemish,  codlin  moth,  &c., 
and  is  willing  to  pay  for  such  fruit 
whatever  it  is  worth.  But  it  must  be 
strictly  first-class  throughout;  no  infe- 
rior apples  in  the  middle  of  the  barrel, 
but  each  apple  fit  to  be  placed  on  the 
table  of  any  gentleman.  Whoever  will 
supply  him  with  such  fruit,  securely 
packed  and  shipped  in  good  season, 
will  find  him  a  constant  and  increasing 
customer. 

Y.^RMouTH,  Nova  Scotia, 

81.st  July,  1882. 
To  THE  Fruit  Growers  and  Shippers  of  Ontario, 

Gentlemen, — As  a  member  of  the  On- 
tario Fruit  Growers'  Association,  I  have 
for  some  years  (since  1875)  taken  an  in- 
terest in  the  introduction  of  Ontario  Ap- 
ples into  this  market,  from  the  persuasion 
that  when  once  well-known,  reliable  ship- 
ments will  meet  a  ready  and  extensive 
sale,  as  well  as  from  the  more  personal 
motive  of  supplying  my  own  family  and 
my  friends  with  choice  fruit. 

I  have  paid  $1,020  in  first  cost  of  the 
several  lots  shipped,  and  ^87  15  in 
charges  of  transit,  and  have  lost  in  all 
about  $300  in  the  price  received  for  sur- 
plus sold,  owing  to  inferior  quality  of 
shipments,  and  to  damage  by  frost  and 
by  decay.  Last  fall  a  party  in  Ontario 
shipped  25  bbls. ,  ordered  by  telegram  in 
October,  so  late  in  November  that  they 
were  all  frozen  on  the  way,  and  did  not 
even  reply  to  my  letter  advising  him  of 
the  fact. 

I  cannot  afford  to  persevere  in  experi- 
ments with  such  expensive  results.  At 
the  same  time  I  am  desirous  of  continuing 
to  import  Ontario  Apples,  either  in  20-bbl. 
lots  for  my  own  use,  or  in  car  loads  for  sale. 


THE    CA.NADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


195 


I  would  like  to  hear  from  any  grower 
or  shipi)er  who  will  agree  to  supply  me 
with  strictly  first-class  fruit,  so  that  I  can 
sell  without  opening  the  barrels  to  ex- 
amine, at  what  price  he  will  ship  me  in 
October,  say  15th  to  25th,  20  bbls.  or  a 
car  load  ;  also  what  varieties,  and  cost  of 
freight  through  to  St.  John,  N.B.,  by 
20  bbls.  and  by  car  load.  Payment  to  be 
made  through  Bank  draft  at  sight. 

In  a  20-bbl.  lot  I  would  prefer  one 
barrel  each — 


1  Amer'n  Goldeu  Russet. 

2  Baldwin. 

S  Esopi.s  Spitzenburg. 

4  Fall  Pippin. 

5  Fameiise. 

6  Grime's  Golden  Pippin. 

7  Hubbardstou  Nonsuch. 

8  Melon 

9  Northern  Spy. 

10  Newtown  Spitzenburg. 


11  Peck's  Pleasant. 

12  Pomiue  Grise, 

13  Ribston  Pippin. 

14  R.  I.  Greening. 

15  Seek  No  Further. 

16  hwaar. 

17  Swayzie  Pomme  Grise. 

18  Talman  Sweet. 

19  Wageuer. 

20  Yellow  Bellefleur. 


For  any  of  these  varieties  not  to  be  had 
substitute  additional  barrels  of  Nos.  1,  2, 
3,  6,  9,  13,  15,  or  17. 

For  a  car  load  say — 

Nos.        1      2      8      6      9     13    15    17 

Bbls.  20  20  20  15  30  15  20  10  =  150  bbls. 
Charles  E.  Brown. 


MOORE'S  ARCTIC  PLUM. 

Having  formed  a  favorable  opinion 
of  this  plum,  I  have  made  extensive 
enquiry  regarding  it,  and  have  thought 
it  advisable  to  place  the  facts  gathered 
prominently  before  this  Association. 
For  much  valuable  information  I  am 
indebted  to  the  kindness  of  F.  P. 
Sharp,  Esq.,  of  Woodstock,  N.  B.,  a 
Pomologist  of  mature  experience,  and 
the  originator  of  a  system  of  fruit  cul- 
ture for  cold  climates  that  bids  fair  to 
be  highly  successful  and  largely  adopted 
when  more  generally  known.  I  hope 
in  another  paper  io  be  able  to  give  full 
details  of  this  system  to  the  Association. 

The  origin  of  the  tree  is  traced  to 
the  grounds  of  Mr.  A.  J.  Moore,  of 
Ashland,  Maine,  about  sixty  or  seventy 
miles  north-west  of  Woodstock,  N.B., 
where  tmprotected  and  exposed  to 
arctic  cold,  the  mercury  freezes,  it  has 
for  many  years  borne  enormous  crops. 


It  is  a  chance  seedling,  but  close  obser- 
vation of  its  characteristics,  particularly 
in  the  foliage  and  wood,  lead  to  th& 
belief  that  it  is  a  cross  between  the 
Imperial  Gage  and  Damson. 

In  growth  it  is  one  of  the  handsomest 
of  trees,  being  very  erect  when  young, 
afterwards  forming  stout  trunks  with 
large  heads,  extremely  vigorous,  and 
forming  a  wonderful  number  of  fruit 
spurs  on  the  previous  year's  growth, 
down  to  the  very  base  of  the  most 
vigorous  shoots,  even  when  not  headed 
back.  Carries  a  large  quantity  of 
foliage,  healthy,  of  good  color,  and  sub- 
stance which  never  "  sun  scald,"  or,  as 
far  as  my  experience  goes,  become  in- 
fested with  aphis  or  other  insects,  when 
other  varieties  growing  beside  them  are 
completely  covered  and.,  the  growth 
much  interfered  with. 

In  productiveness  this  variety  is  all 
that  can  be  desired — in  fact,  the  crops 
produced  are  something  enormous,  and 
it  has  the  extremely  valuable  character- 
istic of  bearing  eveiy  year,  some  seasons, 
of  course,  less,  than  others,  but  every 
year  a  good  crop  of  fruit  Mr.  Sharp 
says  :  "  Nothing  I  could  say  to  you 
would  convey  any  idea  of  its  real  quali- 
ties in  this  i-espect,  but  if  you  will  do 
me  the  pleasure  of  a  visit  to  Woodstock, 
I  will  show  you  a  nursery  of  thousands 
of  trees  blue  with  fruit"  T  have  30 
ti-ees  planted  in  a  permanent  row  now 
in  the  fourth  year  from  bud,  and  where 
they  have  not  been  cut  hard  back  for 
scions  are  loaded  with  fruit. 

I  would  not  go  so  far  as  to  say  that 
it  is  Curculio  proof  but  it  is  so  to  a 
limited  extent,  as  I  find  that  in  many 
of  the  specimens  on  the  trees  that  have 
been  severely  **  stung  "  by  the  Curculio, 
the  eggs  have  faihxl  to  produce  the 
young,  and  the  fruit  will  come  to  per- 
fection. Why  this  should  be  the  case 
I  am  at  a  loss  now  to  say,  but  hope 
to  be  able   to  define  another  season. 


196 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


Added  to  this  its  enormous  productive- 
ness, and  we  have  in  it  a  plum  on 
which  we  can  depend  for  a  crop  after 
the  Curculio  has  taken  its  share, 
where  jarring  the  tree  is  not  practiced. 
I  believe  thinning  the  fruit  in  most 
seasons  will  have  to  be  resorted  to. 

In  early  hearing  it  is  without  a  rival, 
as  it  will,  in  many  cases,  bear  fruic  in 
the  nursery  rows  the  second  year  from 
bud. 

In  color  it  is  a  deep  blue,  with  a  fine 
heavy  bloom,  that  gives  it  a  handsome 
appearance  which  will  make  it  sell  in 
any  market  at  sight. 

Its  keeping  qualities  are  remarkable, 
beating  Coe's  Golden  Drop  in  this  res- 
pect. Last  year  I  had  about  a  peck  of 
the  fruit  sent  to  me  by  express  from 
New  Brunswick,  and  after  this  long 
carriage,  at  the  expiration  of  one  month 
from  the  time  of  taking  from  the  tree 
they  were  in  a  perfect  state  of  preser- 
vation. 

In  quality  I  would  class  it  as  at  least 
good.  On  this  point  Mr.  Sharp  says  : 
"If  I  were  to  express  the  popular 
opinion  here,  I  should  say  it  is  first- 
class,  as  nearly  all  prefer  to  eat  it  in 
preference  to  all  the  finest  plums; 
and  perhaps  I  grow  as  fine  plums  as 
are  grown  in  the  world  by  a  method  of 
my  own,  bending  them  down  in  Fall 
80  that  the  snow  covers  them,  and  by 
fair  training  and  close  pruning,  get  very 
large  and  high  colored  fruit.  But  I 
cannot  say  that  it  equals  the  Mc- 
Laughlin or  some  other  fine  plums, 
although  I  frequently  eat  it  in  prefer- 
ence where  they  grow  side  by  side." 

For  hardiness  there  is  nothing  in  the 
list  of  good  plums  at  all  approaching  it. 
On  our  grounds  this  spring  the  terminal 
buds  were  in  every  instance  in  perfect 
condition,  when  the  Bradshaw,  within 
a  few  feet  of  them,  was  killed  to  the 
ground,  and  the  Lombard  badly  injured. 


I  have  learned  that  an  orchard  of  one 
thousand  trees  has  been  planted  at 
Dominion  City,  Manitoba,  and  the  trees 
have  stood  the  last  two  winters  there  per- 
fectly. I  again  quote  Mr.  Sharp  where 
he  says  :  "  In  hardiness  they  are  un- 
rivalled, as  it  originated  50  or  60  miles 
north  of  Woodstock,  where  I  found  it 
bearing  great  crops  unprotected.  This 
is  the  more  remarkable  when  I  tell  you 
that  we  are  at  Woodstock  north  of  the 
isothermal  line  upon  which  any  culti- 
vated plum  will  stand  up  and  bear 
fruit.  It  will,  with  fair  treatment,  be 
the  means  of  furnishing  all  sections 
and  soils  where  civilized  man  resides 
in  the  north  with  an  abundance  of  fine 
])lums  that  the  best  judges  would  eat." 
He  further  adds  :  **  I  stake  my  char- 
acter as  a  skilled  Pomologist  in  recom- 
mending this  plum." 

And  I  would  say  in  conclusion,  that 
I  believe  this  variety  to  be  worthy  of 
very  extended  trial,  not  only  in  the 
colder  parts  of  our  country,  but  where 
the  very  best  and  tenderest  varieties 
succeed. 

Geo.  Leslie,  jun. 


MOST  PROFITABLE  STRAWBERRIES 
FOR  MARKET. 

BY  A.  M.  SMITH,  ST.  CATHARINES,  ONT. 

The  most  profitable  varieties  of 
strawberries  for  market  depend  greatly 
on  the  markets  to  be  supplied  and  the 
distance  the  cultivator  is  from  market. 
Formerly  the  Wilson  was  considered 
by  most  growers  the  only  strawberry 
fit  for  market,  and  many  cling  to  the 
idea  still;  and  perhaps,  taking  all 
parts  of  the  country,  and  considering 
all  of  its  good  qualities — its  hardiness, 
productiveness,  shipping  qualities,  <fec. 
— there  is  no  other  variety  that  will 
excel  it  in  its  season.  But,  for  local 
markets,  and  markets  where  size  and 
quality  are  taken   into  consideration, 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


197 


there  are  many  varieties  which  will 
pay  better.  Some  varieties  are  much 
earlier,  some  later,  some  larger  and 
more  attractive  in  appearance  and  bet- 
ter flavored ;  and  I  think  it  just  as 
absurd  to  claim  the  Wilson  as  the 
only  market  berry  as  it  would  be  to 
claim  the  Baldwin  as  the  only  market 
apple,  because  it  is  the  best  shipper. 
Besides,  when  we  can  have  as  good  a 
berry  a  week  earlier  and  another  a  week 
later,  it  is  a  great  advantage,  not  only 
to  the  producer  but  to  the  consumer, 
to  have  a  succession  of  varieties,  and 
thus  prolong  the  season.  In  growing 
berries  for  profit,  some  people  forget 
that  it  is  not  always  the  variety  that 
produces  the  most  fruit,  or  even  sells 
for  the  most  money  per  acre,  that  is 
the  most  profitable.  For  instance,  if 
an  acre  of  Wilson's  produces  say  3,000 
quarts,  and  sell  for  10  cents  per  quart, 
that  is  $300,  and  it  costs  a  cent  a 
quart  to  pick  them,  $30,  and  $20  for 
crates  and  baskets,  there  would  be 
more  profit  in  an  acre  of  Dominions, 
yielding  2,000  quarts  and  selling  at 
15  cents  per  quart,  $300,  because  then^ 
would  be  a  saving  in  picking  of  1,000 
quarts,  besides  baskets  and  crates,  trans- 
portation, (fee,  which  would  amount  to 
about  $20.  My  experience  with  these 
two  varieties  would  be  in  just  about 
that  ratio;  and  I  think  there  would 
be  a  greater  difference  still  with  the 
Sharpless  in  some  of  our  large  towns 
and  cities,  where  people  are  willing  to 
pay  fancy  prices  for  extra  fruit.  In 
regard  to  -early  varieties,  we  all  know 
that  the  first  fruit  of  the  season,  par- 
ticularly strawberries,  brings  the  best 
price ;  and  when  you  can  get  a  berry 
that  will  produce  as  much  fruit  as  the 
Wilson,  aud  get  it  into  market  four  or 
five  days  ahead  of  that  variety,  you 
certainly  have  a  more  profitable  one. 
And  I  am  quite  sure  we  have  at  least 
one  or  two  varieties  that  will  do  this  : 
the  Early  Canada  for  one,  and  one  of 


Arnold's  Seedlings  for  another,  though 
the  latter  is  not  quite  firm  enough 
perhaps  for  shipping  long  distances. 
Again,  if  we  can  get  a  berry  that  will 
produce  as  much  fruit,  and  sell  for  as 
much  money  at  a  much  less  cost  of  pro- 
duction and  cultivation,  we  can  make 
a  profit  in  that  direction ;  and  I  think 
we  have  this  in  the  Crescent  Seedling, 
which,  I  believe,  will  produce  more 
fruit  at  less  expense  than  any  other 
variety  yet  tested.  It  should  be  called 
the  Lazy  Man's  Berry,  for  when  once 
started  it  will  almost  take  care  of  itself. 
I  have  fruited  several  new  varieties 
the  present  season,  which,  I  think,  will 
take  a  front  rank  as  profitable  for  mar- 
ket where  they  will  not  have  to  be 
shipped  too  far.  Among  these  are  two 
or  thi-ee  sent  out  by  our  veteran  hy- 
bridizer, Charles  Arnold.  One  has 
already  been  mentioned  as  an  eai'ly 
kind.  There  are  two  or  three  more, 
which,  for  productiveness,  I  think,  are 
fully  up  to  Wilson,  while  for  size  and 
beauty  of  appearance  they  are  head 
and  shoulders  above  it ;  but,  like  most 
large  berries,  they  are  not  firm  enough 
for  long  shipment.  In  regard  to  their 
flavor,  that  dej)ends  upon  tastes :  those 
who  admire  a  tart,  sprightly  berry 
would  not  be  satisfied  with  them  per- 
haps, while  those  who  like  bannanas 
would.  But  flavor  in  strawberries,  in 
a  money  point  of  view,  is  of  but  little 
consequence ;  it  is  size  and  color  that 
tells.  But  if  flavor  is  desired  in  con- 
nection with  the  other  good  points,  I 
think  we  shall  get  it  in  the  Bidwell, 
which  I  regard  as  a  very  promising;^ 
variety.  There  is  another  new  oi:^ 
clamoi-ing  for  public  favor,  called  ^e  • 
Manchester,  said  to  be  enormously  pro-, 
ductive  and  of  excellent  quali^. .  I . 
have  ouly  fruited  it  enough  to  jjiwilge  of 
the  quality,  which  is  good.  If  asked 
which  of  all  the  strawberries.  X  have 
grown  combine  in  the  greatest  degree 
the  exeellenciep,   of  size,  ctO^tjor^  flavor,^ 


1% 


THE   CANA.DIAN    HOKTrCULTUBIST. 


firmne^,  and  pfoductiveneas,  I  should 
say  tlie  Bell.  I  have  only  fruited  it 
one  year,  however,  and  may  be  obliged 
to  change  my  mind  another  year,  as 
we  often  do  with  new  kinds.  For  a 
late  berry  to  ship  long  distances,  I 
know  of  nothing  better  than  the  Glen- 
dale.  I  might  mention  the  Windsor 
Chief  and  Miner's  Great  Prolific  as 
very  fair  market  berries,  the  latter 
perhaps  a  little  soft  for  long  shipments, 
but  both  productive  and  showy  berries. 
But,  without  taking  more  of  your 
time,  I  will  enumerate  what  I  consider 
the  most  profitable,  hoping  to  hear  the 
experience  of  others  with  them.  For 
distant  markets,  I  would  take  Early 
Canada,  Wilson,  Sharpless,  Bidwell, 
and  Glendale ;  and  with  these,  for 
near  markets,  I  would  take  Arnold's 
Seedlings,  Miner's  Prolific,  Crescent 
Seedling,  and  Dominion. 


GOOSEBERRIES  AND  OTHEIl  FRUITS 
AT  OAMPBELLFORD,  ONT. 

To  THE  Editor  op  the  Oavadun  Horticultueist. 

Dea.r  Sir,— I  forward  you  by  express 
to-day  a  sample  of  two  varieties  of  goose- 
berries. I  got  the  cuttings  originally  from 
the  garden  of  the  late  Rey,  Dp.  Buohan, 
of  Stirling,  some  eight  or  ten  years  ago, 
They  were  said  to  be  English  varieties 
that  did  not  mildew.  T  felt  interested  in 
them  and  tried  then^.  So  far  they  have 
never  shown  any  signs  of  mildew,  and  I 
hq,ve  had  them  bearing  for  about  eight 
year^.  They  yield  muoli  heavier  than 
Houghton  or  Downing  ;  in  fdct,  I  do  not 
consider  the  two  latter  worth  growing  as 
compared  to  the  forn:ier.  They  f^verbear 
with  n^e  ev^ry  year  ;  you  will  see  from 
the  bri^jucjies  sept  that  they  are  overbear- 
ing this  year,  also,  and  consequently  there 
is  but  Uttle  growth  of  new  wot>d,  the 
bushes  yielding  eight  to  ten  quarts  ea,ch, 
and  they  sell  for  one  half  mor«  th^ 
Houghtons. 

On  young  wd  cultivated  plants,  not 
allowed  to  overbear,  I  have  had  them 
more  than  duuble  the  size  of  those  sent, 
which  are  am^le?  than  usuailj   owing  tQ 


inferior  cultivation,  &o.,  and  no  manuring 
the  past  three  years. 

The  heaviest  crops  of  strawberries  I 
ever  raised  never  paid  anything  like  as 
well  as  these  gooseberries. 

I  intended  to  exhibit  them  at  Trenton 
at  the  late  meeting  of  the  F.  G.  A.  ;  but 
it  was  raining  that  morning,  and  conse- 
quently too  good  a  day  to  lose,  as  I  set 
out  3,000  cabbage  and  cauliflower  suc- 
cessfully. 

Apples  in  Northumberland  Co.  are  a 
failure,  and  will  be  very  scarce.  The  fruit 
did  not  set  properly.  There  was  any 
amount  of  blossoms. 

Pears  are  also  a  poor  crop.  Cherries 
none.  Plums  none.  Currants  and  goose- 
berries good.  Strawberries  a  partial 
failure.  Raspberries,  tame  and  wild  a 
failure.  Yours  truly, 

J.  W.  J. 

P.  aS^. — The  gooseberries  sent  are  not 
yet  quite  ripe. 

Tlie  sample  of  gooseberries  came 
safely  to  hand.  The  fruit  was  not 
sufficiently  ripened  to  enable  one  to 
form  an  opinion  of  their  quality,  but 
the  fruit  and  leaves  exhibited  no  sign 
of  mildew,  and  the  branches  were  in- 
deed heavily  laden.  There  is  no  ques- 
tion but  that  the  plants  are  exceedingly 
productive.  One  of  the  varieties  bears 
some  resemblance  in  form  to  the  well 
known  Whitesmith  ;  the  other  is  more 
decidedly  oval  in  shape,  and  the  color 
more  of  a  yellow  tint. 

We  require  gooseberries  of  larger 
size  and  better  in  flavor  than  either  the 
Houghton,  Smith's  Improved,  or  Down- 
ing, and  which  will  thrive  in  all  soils 
and  locations.  Tlie  Euirlish  varieties 
are  subject  to  mildew  in  our  climate, 
and  cannot  be  successfully  grown  here, 
except  in  a  few  favored  localities,  where 
there  isi  more  tlxan  usual  humidity  of 
the  atmosphere.  The  Downing  goose- 
berry is  tlie  largest  of  the  American 
varieties  that  has  been  disseminated. 
The  Fruit  Growers'  Association  gave 
a  pUnt.  of  this  variety,  some  years  ago. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


199 


to  each  of  its  members,  and  the  general 
testimony  has  been  that  although  in- 
ferior in  size  and  quality  to  the  English 
varieties,  it  was  not  as  subject  to  mil- 
dew ;  indeed,  with  rare  exceptions,  it 
was  exempt  from  that  destroyer.  But 
we  want  something  better,  and  every- 
thing that  gives  indication  of  being  a 
step  in  this  direction  should  be  thor- 
oughly tested.  It  may  be  that  these 
two  which  we  have  received  from 
Campbellford  will  be  found  to  suffer 
from  mildew  when  gi'own  in  other 
localities  ;  but  if  they  do  not,  they  cer- 
tainly are  worthy  of  wide  dissemina- 
tion.   

REPORT  FROM  MUSKOKA  FALLS. 

I  have  received  three  numbers  of  the 
Canadian  Horticulturist,  also  Annual 
Report  for  1880,  and  must  say  they 
are  worth  the  money  spent ;  they  are 
read  with  much  interest  as  well  as 
profit.  The  grape  vine,  Moore's  Early, 
I  received  has  made  very  little  gi'owth, 
owing  to  the  weather  being  cool.  I 
have  two  Moore's  Early,  one  Pockling- 
ton  and  one  Champion  ;  none  of  them 
have  done  well  so  far.  They  are  all 
planted  in  a  sunny  exposure,  and  the 
soil  is  tolerably  rich.  I  don't  care  to 
make  it  too  rich,  as  I  like  well  ripened 
wood  to  stand  our  cold  climate.  The 
Flemish  Beauty  Pear,which  was  planted 
this  last  spring,  has  made  very  little 
growth.  The  Plum  has  done  fairly  ; 
how  it  will  do  I  shall  report  again. 
My  father  has  several  apple  trees  bear- 
ing this  season — five  years  from  plant- 
ing ;  they  are  the  Haas,  St.  Lawrence, 
Peach  Apple,  Hawthornden,  Alexan- 
der, Golden  Russett.  He  has  several 
grape  vines,  the  Clinton,  Agawam  and 
the  Concord ;  two  others,  names  not 
known. 

I  shall  report  again. 

Yours  respectfully, 

Harry  Clifford. 
Muskoka  Falls,  July  31,  1882. 


SUMMER  MEETING  OF  THE  FRUIT 
GROWERS'  ASSOCIATION  OF  ON- 
TARIO. 

This  meeting,  which  was  held  at 
Trenton,  was  exceedingly  well  attend- 
ed, and  the  discussions  were  deeply 
interesting  and  animated  throughout. 
Our  short-hand  reporter  was  present, 
and  took  down  the  various  items  of  in- 
formation, and  will  have  them  fully 
written  out  so  that  they  will  be  given 
in  their  completeness  to  all  our  mem- 
bers in  the  Annual  Report  for  1882. 
The  programme  as  published  was  nearly 
all  gone  over,  and  many  valuable  papers 
on  most  of  the  subjects  were  presented, 
which  will  also  appear  in  lull  in  the 
Report. 

The  citizens  of  Trenton  and  vicinity 
attended  the  meetings  in  large  num- 
bers, and  through  their  Mayor  invited 
the  members  to  dine  with  them  on  the 
evening  of  the  first  day.  This  social 
re-union  was  a  most  enjoyable  occasion, 
enlivened  with  sentiment  and  song 
and  many  earnest  and  telling  speeches. 
The  second  day  they  arranged  an  ex- 
cursion for  the  members  to  Picton  and 
the  famous  Sand-banks,  thus  enabling 
them  to  have  an  opportunity  of  inspect- 
ing the  fruit-producing  capabilities  of 
Prince  Edward  County.  After  return- 
ing from  the  excursion,  the  evening 
was  spent  in  the  discussion  of  shrubs 
and  ornamental  plants  suited  to  the 
climate  of  that  section,  and  desirable 
to  be  planted  for  the  adornment  of  our 
country  homes. 

The  Association  adjourned  at  the 
close,  to  meet  in  Kingston  on  Tuesday, 
the  1 9th  day  of  September  next,  much 
gratified  with  the  kind  attentions  they 
had  received,  and  feeling  that  it  had 
been  a  very  instructive  and  enjoyable 
occtiaion. 


200 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


CAULIFLOWERS. 

Among  the  unsolved  problems  which 
still  puzzle  the  minds  of  the  intelligent 
American  market  gardeners,  stands 
prominently  the  one  how  to  succeed 
every  year  in  raising  maximum  crops 
of  well-developed  Cauliflowers.  The 
practical  and  trained  gardener  gives 
himself  no  trouble  of  mind  about  grow- 
ing paying  crops  of  early  Cabbages, 
Lettuce,  Beets,  or  Onions,  with  the 
present  well-established  practices  now 
in  common  use.  But  with  Cauliflowers 
the  matter  is  different.  They  are  ca- 
pricious, becoming  very  responsive  to 
good  treatment  one  year,  while  the 
next  year  the  crop,  gi-own  with  the 
same  care,  results  in  failure.  Very 
often,  not  more  than  fifty  per  cent,  of 
the  number  planted  will  make  large, 
compact  heads.  This  uncertainty  is  not 
in  consequence  of  any  neglect  or  over- 
sight in  preparing  the  ground,  nor  in 
the  methods  of  cultivation,  for  I  have 
known  dozens  of  instances  of  failure 
where  the  ground  was  rich  and  the  cul- 
ture thorough,  from  planting-time  to 
the  close  of  the  growing  season.  This 
serious  and  expensive  obstacle  has  been 
partially  overcome,  of  late  years,  by  the 
introduction  of  some  newer  varieties, 
which  are  surer  to  head  than  the  older 
kinds  under  the  same  treatment. 

In  growing  Cabbages,  one  may  get  a 
fair  crop  with  light  manuring  and  in- 
diflferent  cultivation.  But  it  is  a  waste 
of  time  and  money  to  risk  this  plan 
with  Cauliflowers,  no  matter  whether 
the  old  or  newer  varieties  are  planted. 
To  start  right,  the  soil  must  be  deep, 
mellow,  and  rich.  This  will  be  the 
first  step  toward  insuring  success  in 
raising  a  crop  of  full-sized  Cauliflowers. 

For  the  fall  crop,  the  seed  is  sown, 
in  the  latitude  of  New  York,  from  the 
first  to  the  fifteenth  of  May,  in  a  seed- 
bed in  the  open  ground.  The  rows 
are  usually  a  foot  ai^)artj  and  the  seed 


sown  thickly  and  covered  lightly. 
When  the  young  plants  come  through 
the  surface  they  are  very  frequently 
attacked  by  the  ''  black  fly,"  and,  un- 
less these  are  checked,  they  will  destroy 
every  plant.  My  plan  is,  and  has 
been  for  years,  to  soak  some  tobacco 
stems  in  water,  and  add  to  this  some 
soft-soap  and  urine.  With  this  mix- 
ture, diluted  with  water,  the  plants 
are  syringed  early  in  the  morning,  and 
then  dusted  with  air-slacked  lime.  One 
or  two  applications  of  this  mixture,  in 
the  way  described,  never  fail  to  save 
the  plants.  It  is  simple,  and  not  ex- 
pensive. 

In  former  years,  the  varieties  which 
were  generally  grown  included  the 
Half-Early  Paris,  Early  Paris,  Early 
London,  and  Walcheren.  Of  late  years, 
the  Erfurt  Early  Dwarf,  Early  Snow- 
ball, and  the  Algiers,  have  taken  the 
place  of  those  named  first,  and,  on  my 
own  farm,  and  wherever  I  have  seen 
them  growing,  I  have  become  thorough- 
ly satisfied  that  they  are  more  reliable 
for  a  crop.  While  they  attain  an  equal 
size,  they  are  fully  up  to  the  standard 
in  quality.  In  a  lot  of  3,000  plants  of 
the  Algiers  planted  on  my  farm  last 
year,  over  eighty-five  per  cent,  grew  to 
full  size,  and  made  large,  firm,  com- 
pact heads,  many  of  them  measuring 
eighteen  inches  in  diameter. 

As  mentioned  before,  to  grow  Cauli- 
flowers to  full  size,  the  soil  must  be 
rich  and  mellow.  We  usually  plant 
them  on  ground  after  early  Potatoes. 
The  ground  receives  a  liberal  dressing 
of  manure  in  the  spring,  at  the  time  of 
planting  the  Potatoes.  The  Potatoes 
are  dug  and  marketed  early  in  July, 
after  which  the  ground  is  again  man- 
ured, ploughed,  and  harrowed.  The 
plants  ai-e  then  set  out  in  rows  two 
and  a  half  feet  apart,  and  two  feet 
apart  in  the  rows.  They  are  planted 
with  the  ordinary  dibble,  in  precisely 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


201 


the  same  way  that  Cabbage  plants  are 
set.  From  this  time  on,  the  surface  of 
the  gi'ound  is  kept  loose  and  free  from 
weeds  and  grass — in  the  open  field  by 
horse-tools,  and  in  the  garden  with  the 
common  hand-hoe. 

The  time  of  planting  Cauliflowers 
for  fall  and  early  winter  use,  in  the 
Middle  and  Northern  States,  may  be 
extended  from  the  end  of  June  to  the 
la,tter  part  of  July,  and  even  up  to  the 
first  of  August.  As  a  matter  of  course, 
common  sense  would  dictate  that  the 
plants  should  be  set  out  when  the 
weather  is  cloudy  and  moist,  and  the 
soil  damp.  Cauliflower  plants  are  not 
so  hardy  as  Cabbage  plants,  and  \\ill 
need  a  trifle  more  care  when  set  out  in 
the  garden  or  open  field.  Once  started, 
they  will  grow  rank  and  thrifty.  When 
grown  solely  for  home  consumption,  it 
is  the  best  plan  to  set  part  of  the  plants 
on  or  before  the  first  of  July,  and  the 
balance  a  couple  or  three  weeks  later. 

In  the  latter  part  of  September, 
when  the  heads  are  forming,  they  need 
some  protection  from  the  hot  sun.  If 
left  exposed,  many  of  them  will  "  but- 
ton," as  gardeners  term  it.  A  simple, 
effective,  and  cheap  method  of  avoiding 
this  is  to  go  through  the  growing 
Cauliflowers,  and,  when  there  is  a  head 
forming,  turn  a  few  of  the  long  out- 
side leaves  over  the  centre  or  head. 
By  doing  this  they  will  grow  compact, 
and  become  more  sightly  and  valuable, 
either  for  home  use  or  market  purposes. 
— American  Garden. 


A  Good  Way  of  Cooking  Onions. — It 
i3  a  good  plan  to  boil  onions  in  milk  and 
water  ;  it  diminishes  the  strong  t  iste  of 
that  vegetable.  It  is  an  excellent  way  of 
serving  up  onions  to  choi)  them  up  after 
they  are  boiled,  and  put  them  in  a  stewpan 
with  a  little  milk,  butter,  salt  and  pepper, 
and  let  them  stew  about  fifteen  minutes. 
This  gives  them  a  fine  flavor,  and  they  can 
be  served  up  very  hot. 


THE  LIXDLEY  GRAPE. 

This  superior  variety  must  have  been 
a  great  favorite  with  its  originator,  for 
he  christened  it  after  one  of  England's 
greatest  botanists  and  horticulturists, 
the  illustrious  author  and  editor,  John 
Lindley.  Had  Mr.  Rogers  given  us 
only  the  Lindley  grape,  his  name  would 
have  been  famous  ;  yet  this,  the  best  of 
all  his  valuable  seedlings,  is  scarcely 
known  to  the  masses.  It  has  been 
crowded  aside  and  overlooked,  while 
those  inferior  were  applauded.  Mr. 
Barry  says  it  is  the  best  red  grape  we 
have.  Mr.  G.  W.  Campbell  gives  it 
preference  over  the  Wilder,  Salem, 
Merrimack  or  Agawam.  Mr.  T.  S. 
Hubbard  thus  describes  the  Lindley : — 
"  Bunch  medium  long,  sometimes  shoul- 
dered ;  berries  large,  red  or  Catawba 
color.  Flesh  tender,  sweet,  with  high 
aromatic  flavor.  Very  healthy,  vigor- 
ous and  hardy.  Bipens  with  Delaware. 
Best  quality  for  table  or  wine.  It  is 
a  very  good  keeper,  with  firm,  tenacious 
skin.  Resembles  Catawba  in  some 
respects.  Is  here  regarded  as  one  of 
the  best,  if  not  the  best,  of  Rogers' 
Hybrids.  Should  be  more  extensively 
planted."  President  T.  T.  Lyon  says 
the  Lindley  is  a  vigorous  and  product- 
ive grape,  of  good  quality,  but  little 
grown  in  Michigan.  Of  coui*se  it  is 
but  little  grown.  Probably  not  one 
fruit  grower  in  one  hundred  there  ever 
saw  it. 

Since  writing  the  above,  I  notice 
the  following  in  the  Rural  New 
Yorker  from  Marshall  P.  Wilder: — 
From  the  first  introduction  of  Rogers' 
grapes  I  have  considered  the  Lindley 
one  of  the  most  reliable  varieties.  Its 
quality  is  but  little  below  that  of  the 
Delaware  with  me  ;  while  in  size,  beauty, 
vigor  and  hardiness  it  is  superior.  As 
a  proof  of  its  excellence,  I  selected  sam- 
ples of  both,  taking  small  berries  of  the 
Lindley,  so  as  to  have  them  in  appear- 
ance as  much  alike  as  possible,  and  had 


202 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


them  tested  by  coimoisseurs.  Nine  out 
of  eleven  persons  preferred  the  Lindley. 
— Prairie  Farmer. 


THE  RELATIONS   OF  FORESTRY  TO 
AGRICULTURE. 

BY   JOHN   A.    WARDER,    M.D. 

[Journal  of  American  Agricultural  Association.] 

The  plodding  farmer  of  our  country 
will  ask  what  possible  relation  can  exist 
between  the  wild,  unbroken  forest  and 
the  smiling,  fruitful  farm.  Nor  is  such 
a  question  at  all  surprising,  especially 
from  any  of  that  large  class  of  American 
farmers  who  have  spent  their  lives  and 
bestowed  their  strength  in  the  laborious 
efforts  connected  with  the  clearing  of 
our  broad  tracts  of  arable  land.  Most 
naturally,  and  in  all  simplicity,  may 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  our  country  ask 
such  a  question  1  These  forests  have 
been  an  obstruction  to  his  progress ; 
he  has  been  taught  to  consider  them 
hindrances  to  agriculture  that  must  be 
removed  at  any  cost,  before  he  can 
bring  into  play  the  very  first  appliances 
of  his  art !  Yes,  truly,  they  are  so ; 
and  yet  it  is  equally  clear  to  those  who 
can  look  beyond  the  limits  of  the  corn 
field,  that  most  important  relations  do 
exist  between  the  so  very  different  con- 
ditions of  the  earth's  surface,  as  are 
seen  in  the  forest  and  field.  Their  re- 
lations are  manifold  and  most  intimate, 
and  the  dependence  of  the  latter  upon 
the  former  becomes  more  and  more 
important,  and  is  more  and  more  mani- 
fest, as  we  advance  in  our  study  of  the 
scope  of  the  broad  field  of  agriculture, 
and  we  appreciate  that  forestry  is  in- 
deed, but  a  province  of  agronomony — 
and  that  the  one  is  embraced  by  the 
other — of  which  it  is  a  most  important 
component  part.  Thus  we  may  learn 
the  relations  of  forestry  to  agriculture. 

Let  us  reply  to  the  query  by  asking : 
What  were  agriculture  without  for- 
estry ?     *     *     *     Simply,  an  impossi- 


bility ;  or,  at  the  best,  a  constantly 
increasing  struggle  against  difficulties 
and  hindrances  whenever  in  any  exten- 
sive region  the  transformation  of  the 
natural  woodlands  into  open  tillage 
fields  passes  beyond  a  certain  limit. 
To  that  point,  be  the  ratio  greater  or 
less,  according  to  the  natural  formation 
and  surroundings,  as  well  as  the  breadth 
of  the  territory  in  question,  forests  are 
a  stern  necessity,  and  they  are  an  abso- 
lute requisite  to  our  permanent  success 
in  any  well  regulated  system  of  agri- 
culture. 

And  why  so  !  is  it  asked  ?  *  *  * 
Because  forests  modify  the  climate ; 
because  they  are  the  great  regulators 
of  the  temperature  and  of  the  moisture 
of  the  atmosphere  about  us,  and  these 
are  elements  of  necessity  to  our  success 
in  the  management  of  vegetable  life, 
for  which  agriculture  exists. 

Forests  are  the  reservoirs  and  the 
conservators  of  moisture,  and  the  source 
of  continued  supply  to  the  springs  and 
streams  and  rivers  of  the  continent. 
Without  their  presence,  in  due  ratio, 
these  essential  and  life-giving  currents 
would  soon  suffer  in  their  continuous 
flow,  and  would  eventually  disappear, 
leaving  desolation  in  their  track. 

Mahomet  was  right  when  he  uttered 
that  forcible  apothegm — "The  tree  is 
father  to  the  rain,"  by  which  he  meant, 
of  course,  trees  in  the  aggregate.  *  *  * 
Trees  in  forest  masses  attract,  receive, 
and  retain,  and  then  gradually  diffuse, 
moisture.  The  precipitated  water  is 
thus  husbanded  instead  of  being  wasted 
by  rapidly  escaping,  as  it  must  do,  from 
a  bare  slope,  and  carrying  with  it  the 
accumulations  of  a  soil  that  has  re- 
quired ages  in  its  preparation  for  our 
use. 

The  true  and  proper  forestal  condi- 
tions of  the  surface  of  all  well-regulated 
woodlands,  render  mountain  forests  the 
especial   guardians   and    reservoirs    of 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


203 


moisture,  to  supply  the  springs  and 
streams  and  rivei-s  of  the  world. 

Locally,  woods  of  greater  or  less 
extent  exercise  a  most  happy  influence 
by  breaking  the  force  of  the  winds,  and 
thus,  in  a  marked  degree,  they  modify 
the  climate ;  they  provide  a  kindly 
shelter  to  our  crops  and  to  our  cattle 
from  the  rude  blast,  and  from  its  chill- 
ing influence  produced  by  the  increased 
evaporation. 

In  this  respect  it  is  surprising  how 
great  benefit  may  be  derived  from  single 
lines  of  trees.  This  is  still  more  mani- 
fest when  wider  strips  are  planted,  as 
shelter-belts  around  the  farms  in  the 
broad  expanses  of  an  open  country,  like 
that  of  our  Western  prairies. 

Intelligent  nations  who  have  learned 
to  appreciate  the  value  of  forests,  and 
who  have  acquired  the  knowledge  that 
enables  them  to  build  up  and  to  main- 
tain a  well-regulated  system  of  wood- 
lands, endeavour  to  keep  from  one-fifth 
to  one-fourth  of  their  superficial  area 
covered  with  trees.  These  are  best  and 
most  effective  in  their  climatic  influ- 
ences when  they  are  properly  distri- 
buted, but  it  often  happens  that  exten- 
sive tracts  are  devoted  to  tillage,  while 
the  forests  are  clustered  in  large  masses 
on  the  crests  of  hills  and  on  mountain 
ranges  which  are  not  adapted  to  farm 
crops. 

In  the  brief  period  of  our  occupation, 
the  energy  of  our  people  and  the  de- 
mands of  our  civilization  have  accom- 
plished a  most  terrible  and  wasteful 
destruction  of  the  beautiful  forests  be- 
stowed on  our  land  by  the  bountiful 
hand  of  the  Creator.  Counting  upon 
what  we  have  considered  an  inex- 
haustible supply  of  woods,  we  have 
wasted  them  sadly — and  now  we  have 
reached  a  point  where  it  becomes  us  to 
halt.  Moreover,  it  is  important  for  us 
to  recognize  that,  while  clearing  the 
land  for  our  farms,  we  have  also  culled 


out  the  best  of  the  trees  from  the  re- 
maining forest  which  is  thus  greatly 
diminished  in  value  ;  and  already,  in 
many  places,  the  shrunken  streams  give 
us  warning  that  we  have  approached 
the  point  of  danger  to  the  climate. 
Meanwhile,  there  has  been  no  repara- 
tion to  the  woods,  the  destruction  of 
the  young  trees  caused  by  the  browsing 
and  tramping  of  cattle,  and  the  intro- 
duction of  grasses  in  place  of  the  natural 
undergrowth,  have  not  only  destroyed 
all  hopes  of  natural  reproduction,  but 
have  so  changed  the  physical  conditions 
of  the  soil  and  atmosphere  that  even  the 
trees,  which  have  escaped  our  cupidity 
and  remain  in  possession,  are  themselves 
suffering  from  the  change — they  are 
dying  in  large  numbers,  and  compel  us 
to  extend  our  inroads  upon  the  forest 
areas  by  their  removal. 

Now  is  the  time  to  begin  at  least  the 
conservation  of  our  woodlands,  and  to 
aid  them  in  the  process  of  self-renewal. 
In  this  work  natural  forces  most  happily 
come  to  our  assistance — the  bountiful 
provision  of  nuts,  acorns,  and  other 
seeds,  is  sown  with  a  liberal  hand,  and 
we  may  count  upon  a  full  supply  of 
young  trees  to  maintain  the  succession, 
if  we  but  furnish  them  the  needful  pro- 
tection. Where  they  do  not  come  in 
sufficient  numbers,  it  is  an  easy  matter 
to  sow  or  plant  such  as  may  be  most 
desired  and  most  profitable;  and  we 
may  also  have  to  remove  some  of 
Nature's  planting  which  are  of  unde- 
sirable kinds ;  but  we  must  carefully 
exchule  all  animals  from  the  woodland, 
which  should  never  be  used  as  a  pasture- 
field.  This  is  the  first  great  axiom  of 
Forestry. 

In  our  beginnings  of  the  future  sys- 
tematic forestry  of  America,  we  must 
all  soon  realize  our  ignorance  of  the 
subject ;  and  with  many  of  us  this  need 
of  information  extends  even  to  a  want 
of  knowledge  in  regard  to  our  own 
native  trees  themselves. 


204 


THE  CANADIAN   H0RTICFLTURI8T. 


PICKLES. 

Thrifty  housekeepers  are  pleased  to 
have  an  abundance  of  pickles,  as  they 
are  convenient  to  help  make  out  a 
variety  when  one  is  obliged  (as  is  often 
the  case)  to  get  up  a  meal  unexpectedly. 
They  are  delicious,  and  wholesome  too, 
if  properly  prepared.  It  is  a  mistaken 
notion  that  fruit  which  is  too  poor  for 
canning  or  for  other  uses,  will  do  well 
enough  for  pickles.  A  good  quality  of 
fruit  should  always  be  chosen,  large  and 
well  ripened,  but  not  mellow.  Perhaps 
the  most  generally  used  of  all  fruits  for 
pickles  are  peaches  and  pears.  A  thin 
peeling  should  be  taken  from  the  latter 
with  a  sharp  knife,  and,  if  large,  cut  in 
halves  and  the  core  removed.  If  small 
they  may  be  pickled  whole  and  the 
stems  left  on  if  desired.  The  peaches 
must  also  be  pared  or  rubbed  very 
thoroughly  with  a  flannel  cloth  to  re- 
move the  fuzz  or  down  which  is  very 
unpleasant  to  the  mouth. 

A  very  good  receipt  for  a  plain,  sweet 
pickle,  is  this  :  To  every  quart  of  good 
cider  vinegar — and  nothing  except  good 
vinegar  should  ever  be  used — add  two 
heaping  teaspoonfuls  of  white  or  best 
brown  sugar,  with  two  level  tablespoon- 
fuls  of  ground  cinnamon,  and  one  of 
cloves.  Tie  the  spices  up  loosely  in  a 
thin  piece  of  muslin  and  put  them  along 
with  the  sugar  into  the  vinegar,  and 
heat  all  together.  Add  some  of  the 
fruit  and  cook  till  tender,  then  remove 
to  a  fruit  jar ;  add  more  of  the  fruit, 
and  so  continue  till  all  has  been  cooked 
and  removed  to  the  jar,  then  turn  the 
boiling  vinegar  over.  After  three  days 
turn  off  the  vinegar  and  boil  it  for  half 
or  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  turn  again 
over  the  fruit,  then  tie  a  cloth  over  the 
top  and  set  awoy  in  a  dry,  cool  place. 
There  must  always  be  vinegar  enough 
to  fully  cover  the  fruit. 

Cauliflowers  and  sweet  apples  also 
make  delicate  and  wholesome  pickles. 


The  cauliflower  should  have  the  leaves 
stripped  oflf  and  the  heads  broken  in 
pieces,  steamed  till  partially  tender,  and 
then  served  as  above.  Sweet  apples, 
unless  a  very  tender  kind  and  mellow, 
should  also  be  steamed  a  few  moments 
before  putting  into  the  vinegar.  For 
the  latter,  a  vinegar  not  quite  so  sweet 
is  preferable.  About  one  coffee- 3upful 
of  sugar  to  every  quart  of  vinegar  will 
be  found  to  make  a  very  delicate  and 
toothsome  sauce.  Green  tomatoes  make 
an  excellent  pickle  if  properly  and  care- 
fully put  up,  but  quite  worthless  other- 
wise. They  are  more  difficult  to  keep 
than  most  other  fruits,  but  in  country 
households,  where  cider  vinegar  is 
abundant  and  cheap,  this  difficulty  is 
easily  obviated.  Gather  large,  well- 
grown  tomatoes  that  have  turned  white, 
but  none  that  are  beginning  to  soften 
or  turn  red  ;  slice  through  the  middle, 
and  put  into  a  weak  brine.  Let  them 
lie  in  this  over  night ;  then  take  out, 
rinse  in  cold  water,  and  steam  a  few 
moments ;  then  put  into  clear,  cold 
vinegar  and  cook  till  tender,  or  till  a 
straw  will  pierce  them  easily ;  then 
drain  and  put  into  a  pickle  jar.  Throw 
out  the  vinegar  in  which  the  tomatoes 
have  been  cooked ;  take  enough  fresh 
to  cover  them  ;  add  sugar  and  spices 
about  as  for  peaches  and  pears,  boil  and 
turn  hot  over  the  fruit.  Pickled  in 
this  way  tomatoes  will  keep  for  any 
length  of  time  desired. 

Ripe  cucumbers  make  a  very  good, 
sweet  pickle  also.  They  must  be  pared, 
cut  in  quarters  and  the  inside  scraped 
out,  then  treated  much  the  same  as 
tomatoes.  To  make  graen  cucumber 
pickles,  cut — not  break — the  cucum- 
bers from  the  vines  ;  wash  them  care- 
fully and  put  into  a  jar  ;  pour  boiling 
water  over  them  for  three  or  four  days 
in  succession,  then  put  into  the  jar  in 
which  they  are  to  be  kept,  and  pour 
boiling  vinegar  over  them.  Let  them 
stand  for  a  week,  then  turn  off*  the  old 


THE   CANADIAN    IlOR'ncULTUKIST. 


205 


vinegar  and  add  new,  boiling  hot. 
Cover  with  horse-radish  leaves,  and  if 
the  vinegar  be  good  they  will  keep  for 
a  year.  Or  they  may  be  laid  down  in 
salt ;  then  when  wanted  for  the  table 
freshened  with  boiling  water  turned 
over  them  several  successive  days  ;  then 
put  into  cold  vinegar  with  a  very  little 
sugar,  and  in  a  couple  of  days  they  will 
be  i-eady  for  the  table. 

The  following  is  a  mixed  pickle,  or 
piccalilli,  of  which  many  are  very  fond  : 
Chop  one  peck  of  green  tomatoes,  add 
one  pint  of  salt,  cover  with  water  and 
let  stand  twenty-four  hours.  Squeeze 
out  this  juice,  put  in  fresh  water  and 
drain  oflf.  Chop  one  firm  head  of  cab- 
bage, then  chop  all  together  fine.  Put 
into  a  kettle,  cover  with  equal  quantities 
of  water  and  vinegar,  bring  to  boiling 
heat,  and  drain  off.  Add  the  skins  of 
ten  peppers,  one  tablespoonf  ul  of  cloves, 
one  of  allspice,  half  a  pint  of  mustard 
seed,  six  onions,  one  pint  of  molasses, 
and  half  a  pint  of  grated  horse-radish. 
Put  into  a  jar  and  cover  with  cold 
vinegar. — Country  Gentleman. 

PACKING  APPLES. 

I  have  before  made  allusion  to  the 
discreditable  manner  in  which  some 
parties  pack  apples  for  the  English  mar- 
ket. Since  then  the  complaints  have 
grown  louder  and  more  frequent,  and 
always  coupled  with  the  statement  that 
our  Canadian  neighbors  thus  far  pack 
fairly.  Investigation,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
shows  these  complaints  to  be,  in  many 
cases,  well  founded.  All,  of  course 
do  not  resort  to  this  reprehensible 
method,  but  all  should  feel  an  interest 
in  exj)08ing  and  correcting  the  evil 
as  far  as  may  be,  for  the  sake  of  our 
common  reputation.  It  will  only  result 
in  hurting  the  trnde,  and  this  trade  is 
already  of  such  dimensions  as  to  be 
worth  preserving,  apples  now  forming 
an  important  item  among  our  exports. 


It  is  officially  stated  that  1,203,670 
barrels  of  apples  were  received  in  Eng- 
land from  the  United  States  duiing  the 
year  1880.  These  figures  will  surprise 
many,  but  thei-e  can  be  no  doubt  that 
they  may  be  gi-eatly  increased  if  some 
regard  be  paid  to  the  much  neglected 
"  golden  rule,"  which  is  just  as  good  in 
trade  as  anywhere  else. — Rural  New 
Yorker. 

HOW  TO  COOK  SALSIFY. 

Some  of  our  correspondents  say  that 
they  have  followed  our  advice  to  grow 
Salsify — or  Oyster  Plant,  as  it  is  often 
called — and  that  we  should  now  tell 
them  what  to  do  with  it.  To  those 
unacquainted  with  the  plant  we  may 
say  that  it  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  if 
any  has  been  left  in  the  ground,  it  will 
be  just  as  good  in  the  spring,  or  if  dug 
during  a  thaw.  The  roots,  whether  of 
Salsify,  or  of  Scorzonera,  often  called 
Black  Salsify — have  a  milky  juice, 
which,  when  exposed  to  the  air,  soon 
becomes  brown.  In  preparing  them 
they  should  be  quickly  scraped,  to  re- 
move the  skin,  and  at  once  dropped 
into  water  to  prevent  discoloration. 
In  the  following  recipes  it  is  presumed 
that  the  root  has  been  thus  prepared. 

Stewed  Salsify. — Cut  the  root  into 
convenient  bits,  and  throw  them  at 
once  into  water  enough  to  cover  them. 
Add  salt  and  stew  gently  until  quite 
tender,  pour  off  the  water,  add  suffi- 
cient milk  to  cover,  a  good  lump  of 
butter,  into  which  enough  flour  to 
thicken  has  been  rubbed,  season  with 
pepper.  When  the  butter  is  melted, 
and  the  milk  boils,  and  is  sufficiently 
thickened,  serve. 

Saldfy  Soup  is  essentially  the  same 
as  the  foregoing,  only  adding  a  large 
quantity  of  milk  to  form  a  soup,  and 
omitting  the  thickening.  To  increase 
the  resemblance  to  oyster  soup  some 
add  a  little  salt  codfish  picked  fine. 


206 


TflK    CVNADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Fried  Salsify. — The  root  cut  cross- 
wise in  halves  or  shorter,  is  boiled 
until  quite  tender;  remove  from  the 
water  and  allow  to  drain.  Dip  each 
piece  in  batter,  and  fry  quickly  in 
plenty  of  hot  lard  to  an  even  light 
brown. 

Salsify  Fritters. — Boil  tender  and 
mash  fine.  Mix  with  beaten  eggs  and 
flour,  thin  enough  to  drop  from  a  spoon, 
and  fry  as  other  fritters.  Some  prefer 
to  mix  hard  enough  to  make  into  balls, 
and  fry  on  a  griddle,  with  very  little 
fat,  browning  one  side  at  a  time. — 
American  Agriculturist, 


PRESERVING  GRAPES  FOR  WINTER. 

As  autumn  approaches,  we  receive  a 
number  of  inquiries  as  to  the  method 
of  preserving  grapes  for  winter  use. 
It  is  not  generally  understood  that 
there  is  as  much  difference  in  grapes, 
with  respect  to  their  keeping,  as  there 
is  with  other  fruits.  No  one  would 
expect  to  keep  Early  Harvest  apples 
or  Bartlett  pears  for  the  holidays,  and 
it  is  so  with  the  most  generally  culti- 
vated grape,  the  Concord;  it  can  not 
be  made  to  keep  in  good  condition 
long  after  it  is  fairly  ripe.  With  other 
varieties  it  is  different.  There  are 
some  localities  where  that  grand  old 
grape,  the  Catawba,  can  still  be  culti- 
vated with  success,  and,  where  this  is 
the  case,  one  need  hardly  to  look  for 
a  better  variety.  The  Isabella  still 
succeeds  in  some  places,  and  is  a  fair 
keeper.  Better  than  either,  if  not  the 
best  of  all  grapes,  the  lona  gives  good 
crops  in  some  places,  as  does  the  Diana. 
Where  either  of  these,  the  Isabella, 
Catawba,  lona,  or  Diana,  can  be  grown, 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  keeping  them 
until  the  first  of  the  New  Year,  or  later. 
The  grapes  are  allowed  to  ripen  fully  ; 
they  are  picked,  and  placed  in  shallow 
trays,  in  which  they  remain  in  an  airy 
room  to  "  cure."     The  operation  of  cur- 


ing consists  merely  in  a  sort  of  wilting, 
by  which  the  skin  becomes  toughened, 
and  will  not  break  when  the  fruit  is 
packed.  The  clusters,  when  properly 
"  cured,"  are  packed  in  boxes,  usually 
of  three  or  five  pounds  each.  The 
bottom  of  the  box  is  opened,  the  larger  > 
clusters  laid  in  carefully,  and  smaller 
bunches  packed  in  upon  them  in  such 
a  manner  that  it  will  requii-e  a  mod- 
erate pressure  to  bring  the  cover  (or, 
properly,  the  bottom),  of  the  box  to 
its  place,  where  it  is  nailed  down.  The 
pressure  used  is  such  that  when  the 
top  of  the  box  is  opened,  the  grapes 
next  to  it  are  found  to  be  somewhat 
flattened.  The  fruit  must  be  pressed 
in  such  a  manner  that  it  can  not  shake 
in  travel,  and  this  can  only  be  done 
with  grapes  the  skin  of  which  has  been 
toughened  by  being  properly  cured. 
If  clusters  were  placed  in  the  box  as 
they  come  from  the  vines,  and  subjected 
to  the  needed  pressure,  the  skin  would 
crack  around  the  stems,  liberating  the 
juice,  and  the  whole  would  soon  pass 
into  decay.  Towards  Christmas  and 
New  Year's,  many  tons  of  the  varieties 
we  have  named  come  to  the  New  York 
market  in  excellent  condition.  New 
varieties  of  grapes,  of  great  excellence, 
have  recently  been  introduced,  but 
we  have  yet  to  learn  as  to  their  keeping 
qualities.  With  the  Concord  and  rel- 
ated varieties,  the  skin  is  too  tender 
to  allow  of  long  keeping,  and  it  does 
not  seem  to  toughen  in  the  curing 
process.  Still,  with  these,  the  season 
for  home  use  may  be  considerably 
prolonged.  The  late  Mr.  Knox  found 
that  he  could  keep  the  Concord  for 
some  time  by  placing  the  thoroughly 
ripened  clusters  in  baskets  or  boxes, 
with  the  leaves  of  the  vine  below  and 
between  them.  We  do  not  know 
how  long  this  will  keep  these  grapes, 
but  we  saw  some  in  excellent  condition 
several  weeks  after  the  harvest  was  over. 
Those  who  set  grape-vines  should  be 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


207 


aware  tliat  no  one  variety  will  meet 
every  requirement,  and  that  the  earlier 
the  variety,  the  less  likely  it  will  be  to 
keep. — Ai7ierican  Agriculturist. 


WHAT  TREES  TO  PLANT  FOR  FUEL 
AND  TIMBER. 

The  attention  of  ou»  people  in  the 
older  States  is  being  very  properly 
turned  to  planting  rocky  ridges  and 
worn  out  pastures  with  forest  trees. 
This  work  is  done  by  those  who  have 
no  expectation  of  cutting  the  timber 
themselves,  but  with  a  view  to  improve 
their  property  for  future  sale,  or  for 
their  heirs.  These  old  pastures  now 
are  worth  $10,  or  less,  per  acre. 
Forty  or  fifty  years  hence,  covered 
with  heavy  timber,  they  would  be 
worth  $300,  or  more,  per  acre.  Two 
elements  may  safely  enter  into  this 
calculation  of  the  profit  of  tree  plant- 
ing :  the  steady  growth  of  the  trees 
and  the  constant  increase  in  the  price 
of  fuel  and  timber.  There  is  great 
difference  in  the  price  of  the  varieties 
of  wood,  but  still  more  in  the  rapidity 
of  their  growth.  Hickory  grows  more 
rapidly  than  White  Oak,  and  in  most 
markets  is  worth  a  quarter  more  for 
fuel.  Chestnut  grows  about  three  times 
as  fast  as  the  White  Oak,  and  for  many 
purpose  makes  quite  as  good  timber. 
It  is  in  great  demand  by  ship-builders, 
and  cabinet-makers.  The  Chestnut,  the 
Tulip  Tree,  and  the  Hickory,  attain  a 
good  size  for  timber  in  20  to  25  years, 
and  the  Spruce  and  Pine  want  about 
50  years.  The  Maples  grow  quite 
rapibly,  and  are  highly  prized,  both 
for  fuel  and  for  cabinet  purposes.  On 
light  sandy  land,  the  White  Pine  will 
grow  rapidly,  and  cannot  fail  to  be  a 
good  investment  for  the  next  gener- 
ation. As arule  the  more  rapid  growing 
trees,  if  the  wood  is  valuable,  will  pay 
better  than  the  Oaks. — Arnericcm  A<jri- 
culturist. 


NARCISSUS. 

The  Narcissus  is  a  veiy  fine  class  of 
early  blooming  flo Wei's  including  the 
well  known  Daffodil  and  Jonquil.  Most 
of  the  varieties  are  hardy,  and  should  he 
planted  in  the  autumn,  like  the  Hya- 
cinth, but  may  remain  in  the  ground  a 
number  of  years,  after  which  they  will 
become  so  matted  together  as  to  make 
a  division  of  the  roots  necessary. 

The  Single  Narcissus  is  extremely 
hardy  and  popular  as  a  border  flower, 
and  the  central  cup  being  of  a  different 
color  from  the  six  petals,  makes  the 
flower  exceedingly  attractive.  Some 
have  the  petals  of  a  light  yellow  and 
the  cup  orange  ;  others  have  the  petals 
white  and  the  cup  yellow  ;  while  the 
Poet's  Narcissus  (Narcissus  poeticus,) 
sometimes  called  Pheasant's  Eye,  is 
snowy  white,  the  cup  cream  color ;  with 
a  delicate  fringed  edge  of  red,  which 
gives  its  latter  name.  The  Double  »^ar- 
ieties  are  very  desirable.  The  common 
Daffodil  is  well  known  under  that  name, 
though  not  so  well  by  its  true  one.  Van 
Sion. 

The  most  beautiful  class  of  the  Nar- 
cissus family,  however,  is  the  Poly- 
anthus Narcissus.  The  flowers  are 
produced  in  clusters  or  trusses  of  from 
half  a  dozen  to  three  times  this  number. 
Like  the  othera,  they  show  every  shade 
of  color,  from  the  purest  imaginable 
white  to  deep  orange. 

The  Polyanthus  Narcissusis  not  quite 
hardy  in  this  climate,  unless  planted 
in  a  sandy  soil,  and  well  covered  before 
winter,  and  then  often  fails  ;  further 
South  it  does  well.  For  flowering  in 
pots  in  the  house  the  Polyanthus  Nar- 
cissus is  unsurpassed,  and  nothing  can 
be  more  satisfactory  for  this  purpose. 
The  Jonquils  are  also  desirable  for  win- 
ter flowering.  Three  or  four  may  be 
grown  in  a  small  pot.  Try  them  in  the 
house  next  winter  ;  you  will  find  noth- 
ing sweeter.    The  Poii/anthtts  Narcissus 


208 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICCLTmiST. 


will  also  flower  well  in  glasses  of  water, 
like  the  Hyacinth,  and  it  is  desirable 
to  grow  a  few  in  this  wav,  yet  nothin» 
looks  so  natural  and  nice  as  a  good 
healthy  plant  in  a  neat  pot  of  earth,  and 
no  other  method  leaves  the  bulb  in  a 
sound,  healthy  condition  for  the  next 
season.  The  Polyanthus  Narcissus  suc- 
ceeds admirably  in  gardens  where  win- 
ters are  not  very  severe,  and  is  prized 
for  house  culture  everywhere.  The 
Chinese,  of  California,  brought  over 
bulbs,  and  they  created  a  great  wonder 
on  the  Pacific  coast  and  elsetv^here, 
and  were  called  the  Chinese  National 
Flower,  though  the  same  could  be  had 
at  any  respectable  seed-house  in  Ame- 
rica.—  Vick's  Floral  Guide. 


MELON  OULTITRE. 
An  Ohio  farmer  says  : — "During  the 
Winter  and  Spring  I  gather  together 
all  the  fine  manure  I  can,  such  as  hog 
manure,  with  the  cobs  raked  out,  hen 
manure,  bai-nyard  scrapings,  etc.  After 
the  melons  are  planted  I  load  this  mix- 
ture on  the  waggon,  and  if  not  wet 
enough  I  throw  a  few  pails  of  water  on  it, 
drive  into  the  field  and  straddle  one  row, 
and  with  another  hand  take  two  rows 
one  on  each  side  of  the  waggon  and  put 
a  small  shovelful  of  this  mixture  on  each 
hill.  By  soaking  the  seed  overnight 
before  planting,  it  will  be  necessary 
then  to  examine  a  few  hills  in  the 
course  of  five  days,  to  see  if  they  are 
making  their  way  through  the  inch  of 
dirt  that  was  first  covered  over  the  seed ; 
if  so,  then  the  manure  should  be  shoved 
to  one  side  with  the  back  of  a  rake. 
After  the  melons  are  beginning  to  get 
the  third  leaf,  I  take  a  mixture  of  two- 
thirds  of  slaked  lime,  one-third  plaster, 
and  dose  each  hill  with  about  half  a 
Spoonful,  getting  the  greater  part  on 
the  dirt  around  the  plants.  With  this 
method  I  get  1,000  melons  per  acre, 
and  always  get  a  premium  at  our 
county  fairs." 


THK  CULTURE   OF  STRAWBERRIES. 

Messrs.  Ellwanger  and  Barry  of  the 
Mount  Hope  Nurseries,  at  Rochester, 
give  the  following  directions  in  their 
Strawberry  Catalogue  : 

Tke  Soil  and  Its  Preparation. — ^The 
strawberry  may  be  successfully  grown 
in  any  soil  adapted  to  the  growth  of 
ordinary  field  or  garden  crops.  The 
ground  should  be  well  prepared,  by 
trenching  or  plowing  at  least  eighteen 
to  twenty  inches  deep,  and  be  properly 
enriched  as  for  any  garden  crop.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  say  that  if  the  land  ia 
wet,  it  must  be  thoroughly  drained. 

Season  for  Transplanting. — In  the 
Northern  States,  the  season  for  planting 
in  the  spring  is  during  the  months  of  ^ 
April  and  May.  It  may  then  be  done 
with  safety  from  the  time  the  plants 
begin  to  grow  until  they  are  in  blossom. 
This  is  the  time  we  prefer  for  setting 
out  large  plantations. 

During  the  months  of  August  and 
September,  when  the  weather  is  usually 
hot  and  dry,  pot-grown  plants  may  be 
planted  to  the  best  advantage.  With 
the  ball  of  earth  attached  to  the  roots, 
they  can  be  transplanted  without  any 
failures,  and  the  trouble  and  annoyance 
of  watering,  shading,  <kc.,  which  are 
indispensable  to  the  succees  of  layer 
plants,  are  thus  in  a  great  measure 
avoided. 

GARDEN    CULTURE. 

To  Cidtivate  the  Strawberry. — For 
family  use,  we  recommend  planting  in 
beds  four  feet  wide,  with  an  alley  two 
feet  wide  between.  These  beds  will 
accommodate  three  rows  of  plants, 
which  may  stand  fifteen  inches  apart 
each  way,  and  the  outside  row  nine 
inches  from  the  alley.  These  beds  can 
be  kept  clean,  and  the  fruit  can  be 
gathered  from  them  without  setting  the 
feet  upon  them. 

Culture  in  Hills. — This  is  the  best 
mode  that  can  be  adopted  for  the  garden. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


209 


If  you  desire  fine,  large,  high-flavored 
fruit,  })iiich  off  the  runners  as  fast  as 
they  appear,  repeating  the  o[)eration  as 
)ften  as  may  be  necessary  during  the 
mniner.  Every  runner  thus  removed 
produces  a  new  crown  at  the  centre  of 
tliPt  plant,  and  in  the  fall  the  plants 
vill  liave  formed  large  bushes  or  stools. 
Ml  which  the  finest  strawberries  may 
•♦'  expected  the  following  season.  In 
the  meantime,  the  ground  among  the 
plants  should  be  be  kept  clear  of  weeds, 
a  nd  frequently  stirred  with  a  hoe  or  fork. 
Covering  in  Winter. — Where  the  win- 
tei's  are  severe,  with  little  snow  for  pro- 
tection, a  slight  covering  of  leaves  or  lit- 
ter or  the  branches  of  evergreens,  will  be 
of  great  service.  This  covering  should 
not  be  placed  over  the  plants  till  after 
the  ground  is  frozen,  usually  from  the 
middle  of  November  till  the  first  of 
December  in  this  locality.  Fatal  errors 
are  often  made  by  putting  on  too  much 
and  too  early.  Care  must  also  be  taken 
to  remove  the  covering  in  spring  just 
as  soon  as  the  plants  begin  to  grow. 

Mulching  to  Keep  the  Fruit  Clean. — 
Before  the  fruit  begins  to  ripen,  mulch 
the  ground  among  the  [)lants  with  short 
hay  or  straw,  or  grass  mowings  from 
the  lawn,  or  anything  of  that  sort. 
This  will  not  only  keep  the  fruit  clean, 
but  will  prevent  the  ground  from  drying 
and  baking,  and  thus  lengthen  the 
fruiting  season.  Tan-bark  can  also  be 
used  as  a  mulch. 

A  bed  managed  in  this  way  will  give 
two  full  crops,  and  should  then  be 
spaded  or  jjloughed  down,  a  new  one 
having  been  in  the  meantime  prepared 
to  take  its  place. 

FIELD    CULTURE. 

The  same  directions  with  regard  to 
soil,  time  of  planting,  protection  and 
mulching  as  given  above,  are  applicable 
when  planting  on  a  large  scale. 

The  Matted  lioio  System — the  mode 
of  growing  usually  pursued — has  its 
2 


advantages  for  field  culture,  but  cannot 
be  recommended  for  the  garden.  In 
the  field  we  usually  plant  in  rows  threes 
to  four  feet  apart,  and  the  plants  a  foot 
to  a  foot  and  a  half  apart  in  the  row. 
In  this  case  much  of  the  labor  is  per- 
formed with  the  hoi-se  and  cultivator. 
How  to  Ascertain  the  Number  of 
Plants  Required  for  an  Acre. — The 
number  of  plants  required  for  an  acre, 
at  any  given  distance  apart,  may  be 
ascertained  by  dividing  the  number  of 
square  feet  in  an  acre  (43,560)  by  the 
number  of  square  feet  given  to  each 
plant,  which  is  obtained  by  multiplying 
the  distance  between  rows  by  the  dis- 
tance between  the  plants.  Thus  straw- 
berries planted  three  feet  by  one  foot 
give  each  plant  three  square  feet,  or 
14,520  plants  to  the  acre. 


THE  ^LIUM  AURATUM   AT  HOME. 

The  "  Queen  of  Lilies  "  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  a  correspondent  of  the  Gar  . 
deners  Chronicle : 

"  Coming  from  the  south  of  Japan  [ 
saw  for  the  first  time  the  Lilium  Aura 
tum,  a  little  after  passing  the  gate  of 
Hakoni,  three  days  before  arriving  at 
Yokohama.     They  were  grown  in  fields, 
as  our  Onions  are,  and  quite  as  close  to  . 
each  other.     As  the  flowei-s  were  begin- 
ning to  expand  the  sight  was  magnifi- 
cent, and  the  scent  overi)owering.      It 
was  much  later,  and  far  north  of  Tokio, 
that  I  saw  them  wild,  coming  out  of 
the  margin  of  the  natural  shrubberies, 
generally  with  a  single  huge  blossom, 
sometimes  two,  rarely  three.     It  is  no  ■ 
wonder   we   got   at   first   notice    such 
quantities  of  them,  as  the  bulbs  are  a 
common  article  of  diet  with  the  natives, 
and  are  sold  everywhere  as  a  vegetal)le- 
in  the  markets.     I  have  eaten   them, 
pretty  often,  and  rather  relished  them, 
as  they  are,  when  cooked,  sweet,  mucila- 
ginous, and  without  any  taste  to  make 
them  objectionable  to  a  new  comer." 


210 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


BLACKBERRY  CULTURE. 
The  home  of  the  blackberry  is  in  a 
deep  sandy  soil,  not  over-rich,  the 
climate  cool  and  moist  rather  than  hot 
and  dry.  In  such  a  soil  the  roots  are 
safe  from  V»e  influences  of  the  weather, 
as  they  penetrate  deep,  the  water  in  a 
wet  season  passing  olf  readily,  and  the 
heat  and  drouth  not  reaching  them  to 
seriously  affect  them./ unless  unusually 
severe,  then  only  checking  the  growth 
and  shrinking  the  berries.  Thickly 
mulching  the  ground  in  such  case  is 
a  great  help,  using  some  vegeiabie 
material,  like  muck  or  leaf  mold,  which, 
worked  afterward  into  the  soil,  is  of 
great  benefit.  Partial  shade  from 
shrubs,  or  occasional  trees,  or  other 
means  of  preventing  the  direct  heat  of 
the  sun,  is  an  advantage  in  our  drouthy 
climate.^'  Better  still  is  a  northern  in- 
clination of  the  ground,  as  it  favors 
moisture  arid  secures  a  more  uniform 
temperature,  having  also  the  whole 
TDenefit  of  the  soil.  The  only  danger 
would  be  from  a  great  growth  of  stalk 
in  a  moist,  growing  season,  the  wood 
not  sufficiently  maturing  to  withstand 
the  cold  of  winter,  especially  if  severe. 
This  is  readily  avoided  by  pinching  off 
with  thumb  and  finger,  the  tips  of  the 
canes,  which  is  best  done  when  a  height 
of  three  feet  or  more  has  been  reached, 
depending  upon  the  thickness  of  the 
stalk,  as  stockiness  is  required  to  sus- 
tain the  weight  of  the  fruit,  thus  dis- 
I)ensing  with  stakes  for  support.  This 
diverts  the  growth  into  the  side  shoots 
or  arms,  which  in  like  manner  must  be 
stopped  when  the  proper  length  has 
been  reached,  which  may  vary  from 
fifteen  to  eighteen  inches.  These  late- 
rals make  an  unequal  growth,  some 
reaching  the  proper  length  for  stopping 
sooner  than  others ;  hence  frequent  at- 
tention is  required,  so  that  no  unneces- 
sary loss  of  wood  results  from  excess  of 
growth.  If  any  are  tardy  and  threaten 
to  make  too  late  a  growth  to  stand  the 


winter,  pinch  them  back  whatever  their 
length  to  give  the  wood  a  chance  to 
harden.  In  this  way  the  whole  plant 
becomes  fortified  against  the  cold,  and 
is  the  better  able  from  its  increased 
stockiness  and  shortening  of  length  to 
bear  its  fruit,  the  size  and  quality  of 
which  will  also  be  improved.  In  this 
operation  there  is  nothing  rash,  the 
plant  receives  no  shock  from  severe 
pruning  ;  only  the  direction  of  growth 
is  somewhat  changed,  favoring  the  parts 
that  most  need  it — the  laterals,  which 
bear  the  fruit. 

One  of  the  faults  in  blackberry  cul- 
ture is  an  excess  of  growth  or  too  high 
manuring,  favoring  a  tendency  to  pro- 
duce stalk  and  leaf  growth  at  the  ex- 
pense of  fruit.  But  while  less  push  is 
required  for  the  canes,  more  is  demanded 
to  round  out  the  growing  crop  of  fruit, 
the  two  principles,  unfortunately,  being 
in  antagonism.  The  only  course  is  the 
medium,  which  produces  a  good  cane 
and  a  fair  to  good  crop  of  fruit,  the 
lack  to  be  made  up  by  planting  closer, 
which  the  lesser  growth  will  allov/. 
Rank  manure  should  be  discarded,  stir- 
ring lightly  the  surface  of  the  ground 
and  mulching  with  fine  vegetable  ma- 
terial to  be  finally  worked  into  the  soil, 
is  better  treatment — well-rotted  stable 
manure,  if  needed,  preceding  the  mulch. 
The  time  for  applying  the  manure  is 
after  the  fruit  is  set,  or  at  the  blossom- 
ing period,  or,  if  the  soil  is  quite  poor, 
earlier  still,  which  will  push  the  canes, 
that  can  then  bear  it,  and  improve  the 
fruit.  The  manure  mostly  exhausted, 
the  canes  will  grow  more  leisurely  and 
slowly,  thus  getting  a  chance  to  ripen 
their  wood  and  favor  the  formation  of 
fruit  buds.  Treated  in  this  way  the 
largest  and  finest  berries  and  greatest 
and  most  profitable  crops  are  grown. 
Otherwise,  with  the  too  general  treat- 
ment, the  berry  will  be  small  and  seedy, 
and  lacking  in  flavor.  The  excellence 
of  the  blackberry,  as  of  other  berries^ 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


211 


is  obtained  by  growing  it  well.  To 
develop  the  flavor  requires  a  certain 
amount  of  sun.  Excess  of  heat,  how- 
ever, must  be  avoided.  It  is  best  there- 
fore to  have  the  berry  favored  with  the 
forenoon  sun,  and  somewhat  protected 
against  the  increased  heat  of  the  after- 
noon, especially  the  first  few  hours, 
when  I  have  known  exposed  berries  to 
get  scalded.  With  a  little  attention  to 
locality  and  treatment  much  can  be 
done  to  favor  this  fruit. — Country 
Gentleman. 


THE  NEWER  RASPBERRIES. 

In  answer  to  frequent  inquiries,  we 
give  in  condensed  form  some  of  the 
results  of  the  experiments  which  have 
been  made  with  most  of  the  newer 
varieties  of  the  rasi)berry,  with  the 
opinions  which  have  been  given  by  dif- 
ferent cultivators  as  to  their  character 
and  general  value.  Raspberry  culture 
generally,  and  the  production  of  new- 
sorts  in  particular,  have  received  much 
attention  of  late  years,  and  deserve 
still  more.  Every  owner  of  a  garden 
may  have  a  sufficient  plantation  of  this 
wholesome  and  delicious  fruit  to  supply 
his  family,  with  no  more  expense  and 
labor  than  he  bestows  on  his  onions 
and  cucumbers,  provided  he  makes  a 
good  selection  of  varieties  and  gives 
them  as  intelligent  culture.  He  wants 
hardy  sorts  which  will  not  be  winter- 
killed ;  they  must  be  so  productive  as 
to  furnish  good  crops  ;  the  quality  must 
be  good,  and  if  they  are  of  large  size 
they  may  be  more  rapidly  picked. 
Another  important  requisite,  good 
bearing,  would  be  more  frequently 
reached  if  cultivatore  would  bear  in 
mind  that  suckers  are  as  detrimental  to 
productiveness  as  a  heavy  mass  of  weeds 
is  to  a  crop  of  potatoes  or  corn.  The 
trouble  Ls,  they  do  not  cut  out  the 
suckers  at  the  right  time,  but  they  are 
Allowed  to  grow  till  they  have  choked 


the  crop  before  they  are  thinned  out. 
Select  in  spring  the  few  shoots  which 
are  to  grow,  not  over  four  or  five  to' 
the  hill  at  most,  and  cut  out  with  a 
sharp  hoe  every  other  plant  before  it  is 
three  inclies  high,  and  keep  all  cut  the 
season  through.  Again,  the  hardiness 
will  be  increased  by  planting  on  a  well- 
drained  soil  with  dry  bottom. 

There  are  nearly  a  hundred  old  sorts 
which  have  been  described  in  books 
and  tested  in  this  country,  some  of 
which  are  perhaps  as  good  as  anything 
we  have  that  is  new  ;  but  the  i\q\v  ones 
may  afford  among  their  large  number 
some  better  adapted  to  our  wants.  We 
furnish  the  following  brief  notes,  with 
the  hope  that  our  readers  may  give 
additional  information  from  their  own 
experience.  Among  the  red  or  sucker- 
ing  varieties  are  the 

Herstine,  not  a  new  sort,  but  im- 
perfectly known  to  cultivators,  and  for 
quality  hardly  equalled  by  any  other. 
It  is  quite  productive,  and  the  berries 
are  of  large  size.  It  is  too  soft  for 
conveyance  to  distant  markets,  but  ex- 
cellent for  home  use.  The  chief  draw- 
back is  its  want  of  hardiness  in  many 
localities.  But  we  find  by  selecting  a 
soil,  and  giving  it  cultivation  which 
will  prevent  late  growing  and  favor 
early  ripening  of  the  wood,  that  it  is 
scarcely  ever  injured  beyond  the  tips 
of  the  shoots,  and  in  any  case  laying 
down  for  winter  would  be  a  sufficient 
remedy. 

Clarke  is  another  sort  which  has 
been  known  for  a  number  of  yeai-s,  but 
is  now  passing  out  of  cultivation,  oa 
account  of  its  moderate  productiveness 
and  the  frequent  imperfections  of  the 
berries.  It  suckers  very  freely,  and 
requires  the  prompt  removal  of  the 
suckers  on  their  first  appearance.  With 
this  care,  and  with  pinching  back  the 
canes  when  half  grown,  it  bears  well. 
In  some  localities  it  has  proved  par- 
tially tender. 


212 


THE   CA.NADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


Cuthbert  is  newer,  and  is  becoming 
one  of  the  most  popular  of  all  varieties. 
It  is  regarded  by  prominent  cultivators 
as  the  most  valuable  raspberry  culti- 
vated. The  fruit  is  large,  roundish- 
conical,  red,  firm,  and  of  fair  quality. 
It  is  generally  supposed  to  be  identical 
with  Queen  of  the  Market,  or  scarcely 
differs  from  it. 

Turner,  raised  by  Prof.  Turner,  of 
Illinois,  is  very  hardy,  the  fruit  me- 
dium or  large,  of  fine  quality,  but  too 
soft  for  long  conveyance  to  market, 
and  it  appears  to  be  remarkably  adapt- 
ed to  many  localities.  It  ripens  early. 
E.  P.  Roe  says  he  does  not  know  a 
single  good  raspberry  that  is  perfectly 
hardy  except  the  Turner,  which  is, 
however,  not  equal  in  quality  to  the 
Cuthbert. 

B|-andy  wine  has  been  a  very  popular 
market  sort  in  Central  and  Southern 
New  Jersey,  and  in  Delaware  and 
Maryland.  Although  the  quality  is 
poor  and  the  size  is  not  large,  its  bright 
color  and  firm  flesh  and  bushy  growth 
have  been  much  in  its  favor,  but  its 
popularity  is  waning.  It  suckers  en- 
ormously, and  needs  prompt  anvl  early 
thinning. 

Thwack  is  like  Brandywine,  but 
larger,  and  is  also  poor  in  quality  :  its 
value  is  for  market,  for  which  purpose 
some  western  cultivators  prefer  it  to 
all  others.  It  suckers  badly.  Ellwan- 
ger  &  Barry  describe  its  quality  briefly 
in  the  words,  "  large,  red,  insipid." 

Reliance  is  a  seedling  of  the  Phila- 
delphia, and  much  better — hardy,  vigor- 
ous and  productive,  quite  large,  firm, 
not  high  in  flavor. 

Montclair — raised  by  E.  Williams  of 
Montclair,  N.  J. — a  strong  grower, 
hardy,  productive,  berries  red,  firm,  of 
fair  quality.  It  suckers  quite  moder- 
ately, which  is  much  in  its  favor. 

Highland  Hardy,  valuable  only  for 
its  extreme  earliness ;  although  small  it 


has  a  handsome  appearance,  and  it  is 
quite  productive.  It  is  rather  poor  in 
quality.  Roe  says  "it  has  had  its 
day,"  but  it  will  still  be  cultivated 
moderately. 

Pride  of  the  Hudson,  when  in  per- 
fection, is  large  and  very  fine,  but  this 
so  rarely  occurs  that  it  will  be  gener- 
ally discarded. 

Caroline  appears  to  be  between  the 
suckering  and  tip-rooting  sorts,  sucker- 
ing  freely  and  rooting  sparingly  at  the 
tips  of  the  shoots.  The  fruit  is  orange 
yellow,  resembling  Brinckle's  Orange, 
but  not  equal  to  it  in  quality.  It  is 
hardy  and  productive,  and  is  much 
valued  by  some  cultivators. 

Marlboro  is  a  new  sort,  raised  by  A. 
J.  Caywood  of  Ulster  County.  It  ap- 
pears to  be  quite  large,  is  bright,  and 
of  good  quality.  The  canes  are  strong 
growers.  It  has  been  proved  in  only 
one  locality,  and  needs  further  testing. 

Lost  Rubies  is  a  temporary  name  for 
a  large,  fine  and  productive  sort  culti- 
vated by  Charles  A.  Greene  of  Monroe 
County,  N.  Y.,  the  origin  of  which  and 
its  identity  with  any  other  sort  he  has 
not  been  able  to  ascertain.  It  is  hand- 
some in  appearance,  firm  in  texture, 
and  excellent  in  quality.  It  does  not 
resemble  Cuthbert,  and,  although  about 
the  size  of  Franconia,  is  unlike  it  in 
character. 

Among  the  newer  Black  Caps  are 
the  following : 

Gregg  (from  Indiana),  one  of  the 
largest  of  its  class,  the  berries  roundish 
oblate,  black,  with  a  slight  bloom,  firm, 
of  good  but  not  of  the  highest  quality. 
A  strong  grower  and  very  productive. 
Although  not  new,  it  is  newly  intro- 
duced in  some  places. 

New  Rochelle,  a  seedling  of  the  Ca- 
tawissa,  very  productive ;  the  berries 
medium  or  large,  dark  dull  red,  firm, 
acid — excellent  for  canning.  It  is  in- 
termediate between  the  suckering  and 


THE   CANADIAN   H0ETICULTURI8T. 


213 


tip-rooting  sorts,  the  latter  quality  pre- 
dominating. 

There  are  some  other  cap  varieties 
requiring  further  testing,  such  as  the 
Surprise  and  Elsie,  which  are  large 
and  of  bright  color,  Duncan's  Black- 
cap, reputed  quite  large,  and  Hamilton 
Blackcap,  also  said  to  be  very  large 
and  tine. 

The  Ontario,  which  originated  many 
years  ago  at  Fair})ort,  N.  Y.,  and  which 
is  a  good  and  productive  variety,  failed 
to  become  popular  on  account  of  its 
dull  color,  and  is  now  little  cultivated. 
Nearly  the  same  remark  will  apply  to 
the  Ganargua. — Country  Gentleman. 


SOME  NOTES  OX  A  FARMER'S 
EDUCATION. 

At  the  Farmers'  State  Convention, 
held  at  New  Britain,  Conn,,  the  leading 
topic  was  :  "  What  the  Farmer  Ought 
to  Know,  and  How  he  may  Learn  It." 
The  following  remarks  are  extracts  from 
our  notes  taken  upon  the  lectures  and 
discussions : 

The  old  view  that  anybody  could  be 
a  farmer  is  passing  away.  Farmers  are 
"  looking  over  the  fence  "  more  than 
ever  before ;  they  observe,  and  imitate 
when  it  seems  desirable.  This  awaken- 
ing of  thought  has  developed  into  the 
establishment  of  various  agricultural 
schools,  many  of  which  have  been  un- 
successful, and  for  various  reasons. 
Too  much  was  expected  of  them ;  the 
teachers  were  not  trained  to  their  work, 
and  the  pupils,  in  many  cases,  have 
been  educated  away  from  the  farm. 
The  love  for  farming  and  farm  life 
must  be  developed  in  the  child.  The 
home  teachings  mainly  shape  the  farmer 
boy's  future.  Object  lessons,  instead 
of  book  lessons,  most  interest  and  in- 
struct the  young — and  the  farm  with 
all  its  plants  and  animals  oflfei-s  the 
very  best  opportunities  for  this  training 
of  the  powers  of  observation.     Study 


nature  and  refer  to  books,  and  not 
study  books  and  afterwards  refer  to 
nature. 

The  great  lack  in  the  farmer's  educa- 
tion is  system  and  balance.  In  no 
occupation  is  there  greater  demand  for 
independent  thought  and  accurate  judg- 
ment. To  obtain  these  he  must  read 
the  best  agricultural  papers,  establish 
and  attend  farmers'  clubs,  take  part  in 
the  annual  exhibitions,  and  in  every 
way  possible  meet  his  fellow  farmers, 
that  by  so  doing  he  may  increase  his 
knowledge. 

There  is  much  work  for  agriculture 
to  be  done  in  the  common  school.  The 
apparatus  required  is  simple  and  cheap, 
and  plants,  etc.,  are  always  at  hand. 
A  text-book  of  the  rudiments  of  farm- 
ing could  be  put  into  every  common 
school  with  great  advantage  to  every 
child,  and  as  Professor  Johnson  re- 
marked, we  should  then  have  "  more 
broth  and  less  dish-water  in  our  schools." 
Scientitic  methods  should  be  cultivated 
in  youth ;  the  method  is  as  valuable  as 
the  facts.  The  only  reason  for  this 
lack  of  agricultural  instruction  is  the 
indifference  of  the  people.  Boards  of 
Education  and  Boards  of  Agriculture 
should  put  their  heads  together  and 
help  to  bring  in  this  new  dispensation. 
The  village  and  city  school  should  share 
in  this  work  ;  the  whole  system  leading 
up  to  the  Agricultural  College,  where 
the  highest  and  most  thorough  educa- 
tion can  be  obtained.  As  a  stimulus 
and  an  aid  in  bringing  about  this  system 
in  agricultural  education,  schools  of  a 
few  months'  duration,  in  the  winter 
season  it  may  be,  might  be  held  at 
various  points.  The  nation  is  safest 
only  when  the  youth  are  educated 
thoroughly — and  agriculture  is  on  a 
sound  and  permanent  basis  only  when 
the  boys,  and  girls  too,  are  instructed 
in  the  elements  of  farming. — Amerkan 
AgricidturUL 


214 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


\ 


THE  BLACK  KNOT. 

As  the  leaves  fall  away  from  the 
Plum  and  Cherry  trees,  conspicuous 
excrescences  are  frequently  seen  upon 
the  branches,  which,  from  their  shape 
and  color,  have  appropriately  received 
the  name  of  Black  Knot.  This  is  an 
old  enemy  of  the  fruit  garden,  and  its 
ravages  have  been  so  severe  in  some 
parts  of  the  country,  especially  the 
older  sections,  that  the  raising  of  Plums 
has  been  given  up.  Though  known  as 
a  very  destructive  growth  upon  the 
trees  for  a  long  time,  it  is  but  within 
the  last  few  years  that  its  nature  has 
become  known  beyond  a  doubt,  through 
the  careful  and  prolonged  study  of  scien- 
tific men. 

The  history  of  the  investigations  into 
the  nature  of  the  Black  Knot  would 
make  a  volume  of  no  small  size,  and  of 
interest  in  more  ways  than  one.  The 
insect  theory  prevailed  for  a  long  time ; 
and  there  seemed  to  be  v^ery  strong 
indications  that  the  Knot  was  similar 
in  origin  to  the  galls  of  the  Oak,  Willow, 
etc.  The  fact  that  the  excrescences, 
especially  the  old  ones,  contained  living 
insects,  their  eggs,  and  remains  of  the 
dead,  was  taken  as  positive  evidence 
that  the  "  house  "  they  occupied  was 
built  by  the  indwelling  insects.  The 
Knot  is  now  known  to  be  of  fungus 
origin,  and  therefore  is  related  to  the 
Peach  curl.  Potato  rot,  Wheat  rust, 
and  a  long  list  of  other  microscopic 
plants  too  small  to  be  seen,  except  by 
their  destructive  effects,  as  they  pi'ey 
upon  the  higher  forms  of  vegetation. 
The  fungus,  or  parasitic  plant,  was  first 
described  in  1838,  but  it  remained  for 
Dr.  Farlow,  of  Harvard  University,  to 
publish  a  full  account  of  the  minute 
plant,  and  its  methods  of  propagation 
and  growth.  I  can  do  no  better  than 
to  give  the  argument  against  the  insect 
theory,  or  for  the  fungus  nature  of  the 
Knot,  as  briefly  presented  by  Dr.  Far- 
low  :     *'  First,  the  Knots  do  not  resem- 


ble the  galls  made  by  any  known  insects. 
Secondly,  although  insects,  or  remains 
of  insects,  are  generally  found  in  old 
Knots,  in  most  cases  no  insects  at  all  are 
found  in  them  when  young.  Thirdly, 
the  insects  that  have  been  found  by 
entomologists  in  the  Knots  are  not  all 
of  one  species,  but  of  several  different 
species,  which  a»-e  also  found  on  trees 
that  are  never  affected  by  the  Knot. 
On  the  other  hand,  we  never  have  the 
Black  Knot  without  the  Sphceria  mor- 
bosa  [the  scientific  name  of  the  fungus], 
and  the  mycelium  of  that  fungus  is 
found  in  the  slightly  swollen  stem,  long 
before  anything  that  could  be  called  a 
Knot  has  made  its  appearance  on  the 
branch  ;  and,  furthermore,  is  not  known 
to  occur  anywhere  except  in  connection 
with  the  Knots." 

The  Knots  range  in  size  from  an  inch 
to  a  foot  in  length,  usually  growing 
upon  one  side  of  the  branch,  causing  it 
to  bend  away  from  that  side,  or  twist 
irregularly.  The  parasite  first  makes 
its  appearance  in  the  spring,  when  the 
affected  branch  increases  rapidly  in 
size,  and  becomes  soft  in  texture.  The 
bark  is  soon  ruptured  in  various  places, 
and  the  soft  interior  comes  to  the  sur- 
face, expands  rapidly,  and  soon  turns 
green.  Multitudes  of  minute  spores 
are  formed  on  this  exposed  green  sur- 
face, which  fall  away  and  are  carried 
by  the  winds,  etc.,  to  other  twigs,  thus 
propagating  the  disease.  These  spores 
continue  to  be  formed  until  late  autumn, 
when  the  surface  of  the  Knot  takes  on 
a  dry  and  black  surface  ;  in  the  mean- 
time, insects  may  have  taken  possession 
of  the  soft  tissue  within,  and  so  eaten 
and  destroyed  it  that  at  the  end  of  the 
season  only  a  thick,  hard  crust,  or  shell, 
remains.  Another  kind  of  spore  is 
found  in  small  pits  and  sacks  of  the 
crust,  and  as  they  form  late  in  autumn, 
they  are  the  winter  spores  of  the.fungus, 
and  the  form  in  which  the  pest  is  carried 
through  tlie  winter.     These  spores  ger- 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


215 


minate  in  the  spring,  and  thus  continue 
the  Black  Knot.  The  same  Knot  lasts 
for  several  years,  or  until  the  branch  is 
killed,  it  spreading  from  the  old  growth 
up  and  down  the  branch. 

The  only  remedy  is  the  knife.  A 
branch  once  affected  is  beyond  recovery, 
and  as  long  as  it  remains  is  a  seat  of 
propagation  of  the  spores  of  the  fungus. 
The  Knots  should  be  cut  off  some  inches 
below  the  main  part,  because  the  wood 
for  some  distance  is  filled  with  the 
threads  of  the  fungus.  I  have  seen 
cases  where  the  Knot  was  thought  to 
be  entirely  removed  by  the  knife,  and 
a  new  one  would  form  at  the  cut  end 
of  the  stump,  thus  showing  that  the 
work  was  not  properly  done.  The 
removed  branches  should  all  be  burned, 
as  the  Knots  contain  spores  which  will 
otherwise  become  detached  and  spiead 
the  disease.  The  best  time  to  cut  the 
Knots  is  in  late  autumn,  because,  the 
leaves  having  fallen,  the  excrescences 
can  be  more  easily  seen. — Byron  D. 
Halsted,  in  the  American  Garden. 

AMERICAN  APPLES  IN  ENGLAND. 

The  New  York  Commercial  Bulletin 
lately  published  the  following  state- 
ment from  Mr.  W.  N.  White,  Covent 
(jrarden,  London,  as  to  the  relative 
qualities  and  desii'ableness  of  American 
apples  for  exporting  to  the  English 
market : 

Baldwins — Free  seller ;  bright  color 
preferred. 

Cranberry  Pippins — Sells  fairly  well; 
bright  color  preferred. 

Fall  Pippins — Bad  keeper. 

Fal  la  water — Free  seller,  and  com- 
mands good  prices  in  the  spring. 

Golden  Pippins  —  Soft,  dangerous 
apple  ;  no  use  here  tliis  season. 

Golden  Russets — Free  seller,  and 
when  clear  makes  pood  prices. 

Gmvenstein — Soft  api)le  ;  dangerous. 


Greenings — Free  seller ;  well  known. 

Gilliflowers — Poor;  should  not  be 
sent  to  England. 

Holland  Pippins — Good  apple,  but 
soft. 

Jennetings  —  See  remark  against 
Gilliflowers. 

Jonathans — When  of  good  color, 
command  fair  prices. 

Kings — Good  seller,  but  should  not 
be  sent  ripe. 

Lady  Apples— Sell  well  at  high 
prices. 

Maiden's  Blush — Good  apple  ;  pro- 
perly colored  commands  high  prices. 

Montreal  Fameuse — Highly  colored, 
sells  fairly ;  green,  bad  seller. 

Newtown  Pippins — Large,  selected 
fruit  commands  high  prices ;  small, 
speckled  fruit,  bad  to  sell,  even  at  low 
prices. 

Nonpareils — Nova  Scotia  and  Cana- 
dian always  command  fair  prices. 

Nonsuch — Soft,  dangerous. 

Phoenix — When  clear,  sells  fairly  ; 
very  liable  to  turn  black  on  one  side, 
which  spoils  the  appearance. 

Pomme  Grise — Sells  well,  particu- 
larly when  clear. 

Pound  Sweet — Dangerous. 

Eambo — Medium  only  in  price  and 
quality. 

Pvibston  Pippins — Good  seller,  but 
must  never  be  sent  ripe  ;  loses  its  crisp- 
ness,  which  is  essential. 

Roxbury  Russets — Useful  apple  ; 
medium  price. 

Spitzenburgh  —  Good  apple,  but 
quickly  decays  when  ripe. 

Spys — Must  be  large  to  sell  well. 

Swaars — Must  be  large  to  sell  well. 

Talman  Sweet — Medium  apple  ;  fair 
seller  when  large  size. 

Twenty  Ounce — Good  medium  apple. 

Yandeveres — Fair  seller. 

VYageners — Good  color,  fair  prices. 

Woodstock  Pippins  —  Good  color, 
good  prices. 


216 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Muslin  Sashes.  —  Rufus  Mason,  of 
Nebraska,  says  :  Three  years'  experience 
with  muslin  sashes  where  the  thermometer 
ranges  from  20  degrees  below  zero  to  70 
degrees  above,  satisfies  me  of  their  supe- 
riority. I  make  a  square  frame  of  Ij  inch 
stuff,  with  a  single  bar  of  the  same  size 
down  the  middle,  cover  it  with  common, 
heavy,  unbleached  muslin,  paint  it  over 
with  two  coats  of  boiled  linseed  oil,  and 
find  it  far  better  than  glass.  Have  had 
no  freezing  or  scalding,  but  better  colored 
plants,  more  stocky,  and  better  able  to 
withstand  early  transplanting.  After  the 
hotbed  is  filled  with  manure,  lay  in  the 
soil  so  as  to  come  within  three  inches  of 
the  muslin,  sloping  exactly  as  it  does.  As 
the  season  advances,  the  bed  will  settle 
about  as  fast  as  the  growth  of  the  plants 
require  it.  This  plan  prevents  the  plants 
from  becoming  long-legged,  which  is  the 
main  cause  of  the  slow  after-growth,  and 
in  the  cabbage  family  of  so  many  plants 
failing  to  make  solid  heads. — Michigan 
Farmer. 

A  Potato  Experiment. — A  writer  in 
the  Rural  New  Yorker  says  as  follows  : 
Last  spring  when  planting  my  Beauty  of 
Hebron  potatoes,  I  planted  one  row 
through  the  piece  as  follows  :  I  took 
potatoes  below  medium  size,  cut  off  the 
seed  and  stem  ends,  cut  out  all  the  eyes 
but  two  ;  planted  them  and  gave  them  the 
same  care  as  the  rest  of  the  piece.  The 
"  seed  "  for  the  rest  was  of  the  same  sized 
J)otatocs  cut  in  two,  and  planted  one  piece 
in  a  hill  about  eighteen  inches  apart  in 
the  row.  Now  for  the  result  :  The  first 
row,  containing  seventy  hills,  gave  one 
hundred  and  ninety-five  pounds  ;  one  row 
by  the  side  of  it  with  eighty-six  hills  gave 
one  hundred  and  forty- three  pounds,  a 
difference  in  yield  per  hill  of  over  fifty 
per  cent,  in  favor  of  the  whole  potatoes 
with  two  eyes.  This  row  could  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  rest  as  far  as  the 
piece  could  be  seen,  until  the  dry  weather 
dried  up  the  vines.  The  whole  piece 
yielded  a  splendid  crop,  as  did  a  piece  of 
8nowflake  in  another  part  of  the  field. 

Queer  Farming. — The  latest  novelty 
in  the  "live  stock"  business  is  leech 
farming,  as  carried  out  on  a  thirteen  acre 
tract  near  New  York  city.     The  tract  is 


devoted  to  small  ponds  having  clay  bot- 
toms, and  are  margined  with  peat.  The 
leeches  form  their  gelatinous  cocoons  in 
these  peat  margins,  crawl  into  them  at  the 
open  end,  and  deposit  their  eggs  during 
the  month  of  June.  By  September  the 
warmth  of  the  sun  hatches  out  the  young, 
varying  in  number  from  thirteen  to 
twenty-seven  from  each  cocoon.  During 
the  svimmer  months  the  water  in  the  pond 
is  kept  at  about  three  feet ;  in  winter  the 
depth  is  increased  to  prevent  freezing  the 
leeches.  Leeches  are  not  expensive  feed- 
ers, a  meal  of  fresh  blood  once  in  six 
months  being  their  only  diet.  The  blood 
is  put  in  linen  bags  and  suspended  in  the 
water.  The  leeches  attach  themselves  to 
the  bag  and  remain  until  gorged  with  the 
blood,  when  they  drop  into  the  water. 
The  owner  reports  that  his  sales  amount 
to  about  1,000  leeches  per  day,  the  most 
of  them  going  to  the  West  and  South. 
He  makes  this  new  branch  of  farming 
quite  profitable. 

Keeping  Grapes  on  the  Vines. — I 
have  disco  veered  that  by  the  use  of  strong 
manilla  paper  bags,  grapes  may  be  kept 
on  the  vines  in  splendid  condition  long 
after  the  season  for  grapes  out  of  doors 
has  gone  by.  Passing  through  the  vines, 
Oct.  31,  three  weeks  after  the  frosts  com- 
pelled me  to  gather  the  crop,  and  after 
the  leaves  had  all  fallen,  I  found  a  few 
clusters  protected  by  bags  that  had  been 
overlooked,  beneath  the  leaves.  Clusters 
of  the  Lady  grape  were  slightly  faded,  and 
the  quality  not  improved.  The  Brighton 
appeared  as  fresh,  bright  and  beautiful  as 
I  ever  saw  it,  with  bloom  undisturbed, 
the  color  a  dark  rich  maroon.  I  have 
never  eaten  such  rare  specimens  of  this 
fine  grape,  and  yet  the  freezing  had  been 
severe.  They  were  the  nearest  approach 
to  a  raisin  I  ever  saw  on  vines.  The 
juices  near  the  skin  had  condensed,  and 
there  was  a  temptation  to  chew  the  skin 
to  secure  the  fine  flavor.  It  would  seem 
that  by  the  use  of  such  stout  paper  bags 
we  may  keep  grapes  on  the  vines  several 
weeks  later  than  otherwise  would  be  pos- 
sible, and  that  we  may  enjoy  ripe  speci- 
mens in  this  way,  from  varieties  not 
usually  fully  matured  in  this  latitude. — 
C.  A.  Green. 


PRINTKD  AT  THE  STEAM  PRESS  ESTABfclSHMENI  OF  COPP,  CLARK  ft  CO.,  COLBORNE  STREET,  TORONTO. 


SWEET  PEAS 


THE 


VOL.  v.] 


OCTOBER,  1882. 


[No.  10. 


FLOWERmG   PEAS. 


It  is  surprising  that  one  does  not 
oftener  see  these  beautiful,  sweet-scent- 
ed climbers  growing  about  the  dwell- 
ings of  our  flower-loving  people.  They 
are  much  more  beautiful  than  the  scar- 
let runner  which  is  so  generally  grown, 
and  besides  are  deliciously  sweet-scent- 
ed, so  that  they  are  known  as  Sweet 
Peas.  Our  plate  shows  their  beauti- 
fully-varied coloring,  but  can  convey 
no  idea  to  those  unacquainted  with  the 
flowers  of  the  delightful  perfume  they 
exhale. 

They  should  be  sown  early  in  the 
spring,  just  as  soon  as  the  frosfc  is  out 
and   the   ground   has   become  settled, 


without  any  reference  to  the  weather. 
It  is  desirable  that  the  soil  should  be 
in  good  heart,  and  the  seed  be  sown 
four  or  five  inches  deep,  and  about  an 
inch  apart.  As  soon  as  the  plants  are 
up  they  should  be  provided  with  sup- 
ports upon  which  to  climb,  which  they 
will  do  like  any  pea  by  means  of  their 
tendrils  clasping  the  support. 

In  some  of  the  larger  cities  of  Ame- 
rica the  flowers  have  been  in  great  de 
mand  of  late  for  decorative  purposes, 
especially  where  it  is  desired  to  fill  the 
air  with  perfume,  as  well  as  to  please 
the  eye  with  variety  and  brilliancy  of 
color. 


FRUIT  AT  THE  TORONTO  EXHIBITION. 


Notwithstanding  this  unfavourable 
season  the  display  of  fruit  this  autumn 
was  very  fine.  The  varieties  of  Apples 
that  were  exhibited  consisted  chiefly 
of  the  well-known  and  long-tried  sorts. 
The  Baldwin,  Northern  Spy,  Golden 
Russet,  Roxbury  Russet,  King  of 
Tompkins,  Talman  Sweet,  <fec.,  were 
present  in  full  force,  being  known  now 
the  world  over  as  among  our  most  de- 
sirable commercial  Api)les. 

In  Pears,  the  old  favorites,  such  as 
Bai-tlett,  Flemish  Beauty,  Clapp's  Fa- 


vorite, Seckel,  and  Sheldon,  were  well 
represented ;  and  in  some  collections 
we  noticed  that  new  variety  that  chal- 
lenges attention  by  its  peculiar  form 
and  great  size,  the  Souvenir  du  Congres. 
The  display  of  Plums  was  unusually 
good  and  varied.  For  some  reason  the 
crop  of  this  fruit  in  the  old  Niagara 
District  was  much  more  abundant  than 
it  has  been  for  several  years  before ; 
while  at  Goderich,  Guelph,  Owen  Sound, 
and  in  Northumberland  and  Prince 
Edward   Counties,   where   Plums   are 


218 


THE   CANADIAN   H0RTI0TJLTUEI8T. 


usually    abundant,    there    is    scarcely 
any. 

There  was  also  a  goodly  number  of 
varieties  of  Peaches  exhibited.  This 
fruit  has  been  receiving  much  more 
attention  of  late  than  has  been  hereto- 
fore given,  and  it  is  taking  its  place  as 
one  of  our  important  commercial  pro- 
ducts. It  is  a  fruit  that  deserves  more 
attention  from  those  who  are  interested 
in  the  production  of  new  varieties  than 
Canadians  have  given  it ;  and  if  proper 
care  were  bestowed  upon  this  labor, 
the  range  of  profitable  Peach-culture 
.could  be  greatly  extended. 

The  lateness  of  the  advent  of  warm 
weather  and  the  coolness  of  the  sum- 
mer have  not  been  favorable  to  the 
display  of  ripe  Grapes  grown  in  the 
open  air.  The  samples  shown  were 
many  of  them  very  fine  in  form  and 
size  of  bunch,  giving  promise  of  lusci- 
ous fruit  if  the  frosts  come  not  too 
soon.  The  Niagara  Grape  was  shown, 
^very  handsome  in  appearance,  but  not 
quite  ripe.  A  new  white  Grape  of  ex- 
quisite flavor  was  exhibited,  fully  ripe, 
called  Jessica.  This  delicious  Grape 
was  pronounced  by  many  to  be  the  best 
out-door  Grape  that  has  yet  been  seen. 


Moss  FOii  Plants. — We  have  been  re- 
markably successful  in  restoring  sickly 
plants  that  have  been  pining  away  in  pots 
by  shaking  them  out  and  planting  them  in 
a  shallow  box,  filled  with  common  mots, 
kept  constantly  moist.  Almost  anything 
seems  to  grow  luxuriantly  in  this,  and  our 
own  experience  enaourages  us  to  advise 
others  to  try  it.  A  little  soil  mixed  with 
the  moss  could  not  possibly  do  any  harm. 
Seeds  also  germinate  freely  in  it.  Coleus 
and  Geraniums  root  quicker  in  it  with  us 
than  in  sand.  We  wonder  how  we  did  so 
l<aag  without  it. — FcMrm  and  Garden. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 
NEW  SEEDLING  GOOSEBERRIES. 

To  THE  Editor  of  The  Canadian  Horticulturist. 

Dear  Sir, — In  compliance  with  your 
request  I  sent  you  last  week  specimens 
of  my  new  seedling  gooseberries,  which 
I  hope  reached  you  safely.  The  de- 
scriptions, habit  of  growth,  &c.,  were 
on  the  bags  containing  each  variety  to 
enable  you  to  compare  them  without 
delay. 

The  hybrid  seedlings  were  raised 
some  years  ago,  their  origin  was  from 
a  seed  of  an  English  gooseberry,  fer- 
tilized evidently  by  the  pollen  from  the 
wild  prickly  fruited  gooseberry,  which 
grew  quite  plentifully  in  a  ravine  near 
my  garden. 

It  grew  amongst  seeds  of  the  English 
planted  to  try  and  raise  varieties  free 
from  milu  vv,  and  its  growth  was  so 
very  strong,  reaching  six  feet  high  the 
second  year  from  the  seed,  that  I 
planted  it  out  amongst  my  English 
gooseberries.  When  it  fruited,  instead 
of  being  prickly,  it  had  strong  hairs, 
almost  spines,  similar  to  specimens  of 
No.  8  now  sent  you,  and  was  evidently 
a  hybrid  between  the  two. 

From  its  seeds  sowed  again  were 
raised  Nos.  1,  2,  7  and  8,  specimens 
of  which  I  send  you.  All  have  very 
strong  upright  growth,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  No.  9  hybrid,  the  best  of  them 
all,  but  its  blossoms  were  destroyed  by 
frost,  so  that  I  could  not  send  you 
specimens,  there  being  only  one  berry 
left  on  two  bushes.  No.  1  hybrid  is 
also  different  from  the  others.  When 
its  strong  young  shoots  are  topped  at 
four  to  five  feet  high  it  sends  out  slen- 
der side  shoots  from  the  top  which 
weep  down  to  the  ground,  covered  with 
fruit,  maJcing  a  very  graceful  pandulous 
tree.  All  the  others  send  out  erect 
side  shoots  when  topped. 

I  am  raising  other  seedlings  from 
seeds  of  these,  and  think  they  will  pro- 


THE  CANADIAN   H0BTICULTUEI8T. 


219 


bably  be  better  suited  to  this  climate 
than  any  other  variety  as  they  never 
mildew. 

The  crosses  between  English  and 
Houghton,  of  which  I  sent  you  two 
specimens,  are  Nos.  3  and  10.  No.  3 
is  from  a  seed  of  the  English  crossed 
by  the  Houghton.  It  takes  rather 
more  after  the  former  in  its  habit  of 
growth,  and  in  the  texture  and  flavor 
of  the  fruit,  but  it  has  a  strong  strain 
of  the  native  as  it  never  mildews. 

No.  10  is  a  cross  between  the 
Houghton  and  the  English,  raised  from 
a  seed  of  the  former,  and  will  prove,  I 
think,  the  best  market  berry  yet  raised, 
owing  to  the  solidity  of  its  flesh,  large 
size  and  good  flavor.     It  never  mildews. 

I  got  some  preserves  (jam)  made  from 
it,  as  also  from  each  of  the  others. 
Owing  to  its  meatiness  it  makes  the 
best  I  ever  tasted,  better  than  either 
of  the  others,  though  all  are  good. 

The  bushes  are  planted  close  together, 
about  fifteen  inches  apart,  in  my  garden, 
near  my  residence,  so  as  to  save  them 
from  the  birds  which  destroy  all  in  my 
nursery  grounds,  and  have  not  been 
pruned,  as  I  wanted  all  the  wood  for 
propagating.  They  are  also  partially 
under  the  shade  of  fruit  trees,  whose 
roots  occupy  the  whole  ground,  so  that 
their  fruit  is  not  so  large  as  they  would 
otherwise  be  under  proper  culture,  as 
you  will  see  from  the  specimens  of 
Houghton  grown  close  beside  a  bush  of 
No.  10,  which  bore  the  largest  fruit  of 
any. 

Downing  and  Smith's  seedlings  grown 
beside  these  for  comparison  did  not  bear 
a  single  fruit  this  year,  their  buds  being 
destroyed  by  a  severe  frost  when  in  full 
blossom,  while  the  others  being  later  in 
blooming  escaped. 

Yours  truly, 

James  Dougall, 
Windsor  Nurseriee,  14th  Aug.,  1882. 


The  specimens  referred  to  in  the 
foregoing  letter  were  duly  received. 

No.  1 — Is  a  cross  between  the  wild 
prickly  gooseberry  and  the  English, 
two  removes  from  the  wild.  Bush 
grows  with  strong  upright  shoots  five 
to  six  feet  high.  When  topped  at  four 
feet  it  makes  a  handsome  pendulous 
tree  with  slender  branches  weeping 
down  to  the  ground.  We  found  the 
fruit  round,  larger  than  Houghton,  feut 
smaller  than  Downing,  color  reddish- 
yellow,  skin  hairy,  quality  good. 

No.  2 — A  cross  between  wild  prickly 
gooseberry  and  English,  and  also  two 
removes  from  the  wild.  Is  also  a  strong 
upright  grower,  with  shoots  four  to  five 
feet  high,  but  the  side  branches  are 
upright  in  growth.  The  berries  are 
red  and  hairy,  much  like  number  one 
in  size  and  quality. 

No.  3 — Is  a  cross  between  the  Eng- 
lish and  Houghton  from  seed  of  the 
English.  The  habit  of  growth  is  more 
like  that  of  the  native  tha.i  of  the  Eng- 
lish. The  fruit  is  of  a  green  color, 
round,  about  the  size  of  Downing,  of 
excellent  quality.  Mr.  Dougall  says 
that  it  never  mildews.  Plant  very 
productive. 

No.  7 — A  cross  between  the  wild 
prickly  gooseberry  and  the  English, 
being  two  removes  from  the  wild.  The 
plant  is  a  strong  upright  grower,  with 
shoots  about  four  feet  high,  the  side 
branches  are  upright  in  growth.  It  is 
a  great  and  constant  bearer.  The  fruit 
is  round,  hairy,  of  a  reddish  color,  very 
much  like  number  one. 

No.  8 — Also  a  cross  between  the 
wild  prickly  and  English,  second  re- 
move from  the  wild.  The  plant  shews 
more  of  the  traits  of  the  wild  than  any 
of  the  others.  It  is  the  strongest  grower 
of  them  all,  the  shoots  being  fully  six 
feet  high  and  the  side  shoots  upright. 
The  berries  are  red,  somewhat  prickly, 


220 


THE   CANADIAN   HOETICULTUEIST. 


also  bearing  close  resemblance  to  num- 
ber one. 

No.  10 — This  is  another  cross  be- 
tween the  Houghton  and  English,  but 
from  seed  of  the  Houghton.  The  style 
of  growth  is  more  like  the  English  than 
like  the  Houghton.  It  is  a  great  and 
constant  Vjearer,  and  never  has  mil- 
dewed. The  berries  are  pale-green  in 
color,  roundish-oval  in  form,  consider- 
ably larger  than  those  of  the  Downing, 
more  meaty  than  any  of  the  others,  of 
very  good  flavor,  and  apparently  the 
most  promising  of  all  these  seedlings. 

We  trust  that  Mr.  Dougall  will  con- 
tinue his  experiments  in  this  direction 
until  he  has  obtained  a  race  of  goose- 
berries that  never  mildew,  and  which 
rival  in  size  and  excel  in  quality  the 
English  varieties.  These  seedlings  are 
very  interesting  as  illustrative  of  what 
may  be  expected  by  persistent  efibrt  in 
the  raising  of  new  sorts.  There  is  a 
growing  demand  for  larger  gooseberries. 
Downing,  the  best  we  have  that  has 
been  widely  disseminated,  is  too  small 
to  meet  the  demands  of  buyers  of  fruit, 
and  will  be  dropped  as  soon  as  larger 
fruit  can  be  abundantly  supplied. 


THE  BURNET  GRAPE. 

Grave  fears  were  entertained  by  the 
growers  of  this  magnificent  grape  res- 
pecting its  inclination  during  the  season 
of  1881  to  produce  a  number  of  small 
seedless  berries  in  the  bunch,  thereby 
marring  its  very  fine  appearance.  It 
is  the  cause  of  much  satisfaction  to  its 
growers  and  admirers  that  no  trace  of 
this  blemish  is  visible  this  year.  It  is 
hoped  that  a  report  will  be  sent  to  the 
Horticulturist  as  to  how  the  Burnet  is 
prospering  from  various  localities.  In 
this  section  it  is  fruiting  heavily  and 
producing  some  of  the  finest  bunches 
that  have  been  witnessed  on  any  vine, 
having  set  its  fruit  remarkably  well,  in 
spite  of  the  cold  weather  at  the  time  it 


was  in  bloom.  It  is,  of  course,  too 
early  at  this  time  of  writing — 22nd 
August — to  say  whether  it  will  ripen 
thoroughly  this  backward  season,  but 
the  promise  is  exceedingly  fine.  The 
vine  is  very  vigorous,  without  the 
slightest  sign  of  mildew.  It  is  doubt- 
ful if  any  grape,  with  the  exception  of 
Arnold's  Othello,  Hartford  or  Concord, 
will  give  as  heavy  a  crop  as  that  shown 
by  the  Burnet,  and  everyone  knows 
that  has  ripened  it,  that  for  flavor  and 
quality  of  fruit,  it  is  the  Queen  of  out- 
door Black  Grapes. 

P.    E.    EUCKE. 
Ottawa. 


MARKETING  APPLES. 

Dear  Sir, — I  see  nothing  in  my 
June  number  of  the  Horticulturist 
(July  not  received),  concerning  a  mat- 
ter I  have  often  wished  to  see,  viz., 
the  best  mode  of  handling,  and  best 
and  surest  way  of  marketing  fruit,  so 
as  to  realize  the  most  for  it. 

We  have  great  care  and  concern  to 
get  the  very  best  of  stock,  with  the 
object  of  supplying  home  demands,  and 
balance  to  place  on  the  market.  Now, 
concerning  the  whole  operation  of  pick- 
ing, packing,  and  handling  apples  so  as 
to  realize  the  most,  is  a  matter  I  wish 
to  be  informed  upon. 

Formerly,  I  have,  with  my  neigh- 
bors, gathered  and  piled  them  in  heaps 
at  the  foot  of  the  trees,  and  then  waited 
the  time  and  pleasure  of  the  man  who 
gets  his  commission  on  the  job,  and  has 
no  concern  whether  our  fruit  lies  there 
until  the  frost  ruins  it  or  not.  I  think 
this  is  a  very  poor  way  for  us  to  make 
the  best  out  of  our  crop,  which  should 
be  next  to  wheat. 

Don't  you  think  our  Association  (for 
I  am  only  a  new  member),  could  aflford 
to  employ  a  competent  man  to  see  to 
the  packing,  and  then  have  some  firm, 
say  in  Montreal;  to  see  after  the  selling. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


221 


We  have  a  number  of  bearing  apple 
trees,  about  fifteen  hundred,  consisting 
of  N.  Spy,  Baldwin,  R.  I.  Greening, 
G.  A.  Russet,  and  Seek-no- Further, 
and  I  set  out  about  one  hundred  Fallo- 
water  a  year  ago  last  spring,  besides 
other  sorts,  nearly  all  of  which  are 
fruiting. 

By  giving  me  full  particulars  con- 
cerning mode  of   operation,   you  will 
much  oblige         Yours  very  truly, 
D.  E  Hopkins. 

REPLY. 

BY   L,    WOOLVERTON. 

A  correspondent  asks  for  some  in- 
formation concerning  the  best  mode  of 
handling  and  marketing  apples. 

1st.  HaTidling. — There  is  probably 
no  better  way  than  the  old  method  of 
placing  apples  in  piles  on  the  grass,  or 
on  bunches  of  straw,  in  the  orchard. 
Our  own  practice  has  been  to  bring  the 
apples  into  the  packing  house  and 
empty  them  there  in  bins,  the  floor  of 
which  is  first  covered  with  straw.  We 
find  it  a  good  mode,  but  it  is  not  prac- 
ticable without  plenty  of  house  room, 
and  it  is  rather  more  expensive.  In  a 
rainy  season,  however,  it  is  very  advan- 
tageous, giving  an  opportunity  for  pack- 
ing on  days  when  the  workmen  cannot 
go  on  with  the  picking.  Apples  need 
to  be  handled  with  great  care,  and  as 
few  times  as  possible.  Careless  pickers 
must  be  dismissed,  or  taught  to  handle 
fruit  properly.  Thumb  marks  may 
prove  the  beginning  of  decay.  The 
picking  basket  may  be  lined  with  cloth  ; 
it  should  be  round,  and  have  a  swing 
handle,  and  also  be  provided  with  a 
wire  hook,  by  which  it  may  hang  from 
the  ladder. 

2nd.  Packing.  —  In  packing,  all 
wormy  and  defective  fruit  must  be 
thrown  out  and  sold  as  second-class. 
Fair  specimens  should  be  used  to  face 
the  head  end  of  the  barrel,  and  the 
quality  should  correspond  throughout. 


The  fruit  should  be  closely  packed,  and 
the  barrel  should  be  filled  to  the  height 
of  about  an  inch  above  the  chine,  or 
even  more  if  for  a  foreign  market,  and 
the  tail  end  pressed  into  place  by  means 
of  an  iron  lever  press.  The  barrels 
must  be  carefully  headlined,  and  the 
hoops  safely  nailed  in  place,  or  they 
may  come  to  grief  on  the  road  to 
market.  The  name  of  both  shipper 
and  buyer,  or  consignee,  should  be 
plainly  stamped  on  the  head  end  of  the 
barrel  with  a  stencil ;  also  the  name  of 
the  contents. 

3rd.  Marketing. — I  fear  I  can  give 
no  rule  for  this  that  will  suit  every 
case.  In  many  instances,  where  lots 
are  small,  it  is  best  to  ship  on  consign- 
ment to  a  good  reliable  house,  in  such 
an  apple  mart  as  the  city  of  Montreal. 
Some  seasons,  also,  good  success  may 
be  obtained  by  shipping  large  lots  on 
consignment  to  some  established  Com- 
mission House  in  Liverpool  or  Glasgow. 
But  in  most  instances  it  is  best  to 
accept  a  good  offer,  and  sell  one's  crop 
for  cash,  rather  than  wait  for  the 
slower,  and  not  always  better,  returns 
from  a  Commission  merchant.  But 
whether  one  sells  outright,  or  ships  his 
fruit  on  consignment,  it  is  best  to  make 
connection  with  some  well-established 
Commission  House,  with  whom  one  can 
correspond  to  get  quotations  of  prices 
current,  and  through  whom  one  can 
make  sales,  without  waiting  the  plea- 
sure of  travelling  buyers,  many  of 
whom  speculate  out  of  the  seller  for 
the  benefit  of  their  own  pockets ;  and 
some  of  whom  are  quite  irresponsible. 

ONTARIO  APPLE. 
Mr.  J.  W.  Gumming,  writing  from 
St.  Hilaire,  Province  of  Quebec,  says 
the  Ontario  apple  tree  was  winter 
killed,  and  I  cut  it  down  to  two  feet 
of  the  ground,  and  five  new  shoots 
grew  this  summer.  It  seems  too  ten- 
der for  this  locality. 


222 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTIOULTUBIST. 


KIEFFER'S  HYBRID  PEAR. 

Since  staying  here  I  have  been  to  visit 
the  orchards  in  New  Jersey  and  Penn- 
sylvania planted  to  Kieffer  Pear,  and 
can  only  say,  they  must  be  seen  to  be 
appreciated.  No  one  can  tell  the  story. 
The  oldest,  largest  and  most  experienced 
pear  growers  that  have  been  growing 
pears  for  Philadelphia  market  during 
all  their  lives,  are  the  men  who  are 
going  into  it  strongest,  and  grafting 
their  orchards  all  over  to  it.  One  man 
will  have  200  bushels  of  fruit  this  year. 
Now  understand  this  is  no  wild  notion, 
but  after  testing  and  selling  the  fruit 
several  seasons  in  the  market.  It  is 
said  further  to  be  just  what  the  canning 
factories  want,  they  claiming  there  is 
nothing  equal  to  it. 

Such  wonderful  productions  I  have 
never  seen  in  a  pear.  It  is  surely  a 
splendid  thing,  and  I  am  glad  that  I 
have  worked  over  100  trees  in  my 
orchard  to  it. 

S.    D.    WiLLARD. 

SORGHUM  SUGAR. 

COUT  OF  ITS   MANUFACTURE  BY   GOVERNMENT. 

The  Hon.  Geo.  B.  Loring,  Commis- 
sioner of  Agriculture  for  the  United 
States,  reports  as  follows  : 

On  assuming  the  duties  of  my  office 
in  1881,  I  found  135  acres  of  sorghum 
containing  52  varieties  which  had  been 
planted  in  Washington  for  the  use  of  the 
Department.  On  being  informed  that 
the  time  had  arrived  for  manufacturing 
syrup  and  sugar,  I  engaged  the  services 
of  an  expert  in  sugar-making  who  had 
been  highly  recommended  for  the  position 
of  superintendent,  and  operations  were 
commenced  on  September  26  at  the  mill, 
erected  by  my  predecessor,  on  the 
grounds.  These  operations  were  con- 
tinued with  slight  interruptions  until 
the  latter  part  of  October,  at  which 
time  the  supply  of  cane  became  exhaus- 
ted.    Forty-two  acres  of  the  crop  were 


overtaken  by  frost  before  being  sufficient- 
ly ripe  for  use,  and  this  portion  of  thfe 
crop  was  so  badly  damaged  as  to  be  unfit 
for  manufacture.  The  yield  of  cane  per 
acre,  on  the  93  acres  gathered,  was  two 
and  a  half  tons;  the  number  of  gal- 
lons of  syrup  obtained  was  2,977  ;  and 
the  number  of  pounds  of  sugar  was 
165.  The  expense  of  raising  the  cane 
was  $6,589  45;  and  the  expense  of 
converting  the  cane  into  syrup  and 
sugar  was  $1,667  59 — an  aggregrate  of 
$8,557  04. 

,  STRAWBERRIES. 

The  Country  Gentleman  addressed  an 
inquiry  to  several  fruit-growers,  for  the 
best  market  sort,  the  best  three  market 
sorts,  and  the  best  six  for  general  use. 

The  following  opinions  are  the  re- 
sult : — 

S.  D.  Willardof  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  says: 
The  best  market  sort  with  me  is  the  New 
Dominion;  best  three,  as  the  matter 
stands  to-day,  New  Dominion,  Cumber- 
land and  Sharpless.  The  best  six  for 
home  use,  Crescent,  Bidwell,  New  Do- 
minion, Cumberland,  Sharpless  and  Pro- 
lific. The  New  Dominion  is  a  Canada 
berry,  a  fine  producer,  attractive  in  ap- 
pearance, splendid  foliage,  fruit  very 
uniform  in  size,  ships  well,  and,  above 
all,  sells  well." 

Charles  A.  Green  (editor  of  Green's 
Fruit-Grower)  says  :  "The  best  market 
sort,  as  it  appears  to  me  and  othei*s  about 
Rochester,  is  the  James  Vick,  not  yet 
disseminated.  Next  I  think  is  Man- 
chester. Best  three  for  general  purposes 
of  those  well  known:  Sharpless,  Down- 
ing, Cumberland.  Best  three  for  qual- 
ity, Jersey  Queen,  Black  Defiance,  Len- 
nig's  White.  Best  six  well  known,  for 
all  purposes :  Sharpless,  Downing,  Cum- 
berland, Bidwell,  Duchess,  Wilson. 
Manchester  is  vigorous,  productive, 
medium  to  large,  roundish,  light  crim- 
son, good  to  very  good,  moderately  firm. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


223 


I  have  not  tested  far  enough  to  compare 
it  with  the  older  varieties  but  consider 
it  very  promising." 

T.  T.  Lyon  (president  of  Michigan 
Horticultural  Society)  writes  :  "For  all 
soils  and  under  all  kinds  of  culture,  good, 
bad  and  indifferent,  including  ability  to 
bear  transportation,  I  must  say  Wilson 
still :  and  omitting  transportation,  Cres- 
cent. Under  good  culture  and  intelli- 
gent management,  BidweU,  or  for  near 
market,  Longfellow.  Best  three  sorts 
for  market,  with  thorough  culture: 
Miner's  Prolific,  Bidwell,  Longfellow. 
Best  six,  with  thorough  culture:  Mi- 
ner's Prolific.  Bidwell,  Longfellow, 
Champion  (or  Oliver  Groldsmith),  Cum- 
berland, Seneca  Queen,  (or  Marion,) 
where  it  will  bear  the  sun  as  it 
does  with  me).  About  an  even 
thing  between  the  Seneca  Queen  and 
Sharpless,  the  former  more  productive. 
From  a  single  season's  trial,  I  think 
Arnold's  /*Hc/e,  a  new  seedling  of  Charles 
Arnold  of  Ontario,  likely  to  exceed  all 
others  except  in  firmness." 

Wm.  C.  Barry  (late  president  of  Am- 
erican Nurserymen's  Association),  says : 
"  I  would  name  Sharpless  as  the  best 
market  berry.  During  the  season  it  sold 
here  at  retail  for  15  to  20  cents  per 
quart,  while  other  varieties  were  selling 
at  8  to  10  cents.  Best  three  sorts  in 
the  order  of  ripening:  Duchess,  Cum- 
berland, Sharpless.  Best  six  for  all 
purposes,  in  the  order  of  ripening: 
Duchess,  Bidwell,  Cumberland,  Wilson, 
Sharpless,  Golden  Defiance.  Charles 
Downing  merits  a  place  among  the  six, 
and  by  some  persons  would  be  preferred 
to  Cumberland.  The  best  flavored  sorts 
for  the  table  are  Duncan,  Black  Defiance, 
Seth  Boyden,  President  Lincoln,  Sharp- 
less, and  the  Alpine  varieties,  Montreuil 
and  Royal  Hautbois.  Manchester  I 
have  not  tested  yet.  Jersey  Queen  is 
larger  and  high  flavored,  and  the  plant  is 
vigorous." 


E.  B.  Underhill  of  Poughkeepsie 
makes  the  following  remarks:  "  I  regard 
the  Orescent  as  the  best  strawderry  for 
local  market.  No  well-tried  sort  dis- 
places the  "Wilson  yet  as  the  best  ship- 
ping berry.  While  Sharpless,  during 
its  season  (late  only)  is  unrivalled  for 
profit,  as  it  is  certainly  the  largest  berry 
of  value  we  have.  Crescent  or  Cumber- 
land will  pick  nearly  as  late  and  a  week 
or  more  earlier,  and  as  single  varieties 
are  invaluable  and  preferable  to  any  I 
think  of.  It  is  very  difficult  to  say 
which  are  the  three  best  sorte;  however, 
I  will  venture  to  say  Crescent,  Miner, 
and  Sharpless, — not  without  a  misgiving 
at  leaving  out  Mt  Vernon,  Champion 
and  Cumberland,  and  even  our  old 
friends,  Kenlsucky  and  Charlas  Down- 
ing. As  a  promising  variety,  Bidwell 
stands  high,  but  the  trouble  with  my 
beds  of  that  variety  is  that  promise  and 
performance  are  not  equal.  Its  foliage 
is  rather  slender,  except  with  highest 
culture ;  the  berry  is  of  medium  size  a^ 
value.  At  Mr.  Roe's  it  appeared  to 
lead  the  van.  With  me  I  cannot  place 
it  above  Seth  Boyden.  For  very  early, 
Crystal  City  will  pay  here,  and  Mt. 
Yernon  I  picked  for  market  when  Ken- 
tucky, Miner  and  Sharpless  were  gone. 
In  company  with  Charles  Downing  I 
looked  over  Mr.  Roe's  beds,  and  we 
were  then  all  enthusiastic  with  Bidwell. 
Since  then  my  beds  have  not  accom 
plished  half  they  seemed  ready  for." 

G.  H.  &  J.  H.  Hale  of  South  Glaa 
tonbury,  Ct.,  sent  the  following  notes. 

Another  year's  experience  with  th« 
strawberry,  testing  one  hundred  or  mort 
sorts,  and  marketing  hundreds  of  bush- 
els from  our  own  grounds,  as  well  as 
visiting  fruit-growers  in  fifteen  States 
and  the  Canadas  during  fruiting  season, 
have  not  materially  changed  our  opinion 
of  last  year,  except  in  regard  to  one  or 
two  of  the  newer  varieties. 

Manchester f  for  market,  is  by  far  the 


224 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


best  of  all ;  the  plant  vigorous ;  very 
prolific  ;  fruit  medium  to  large,  the  last 
picking  almost  as  large  as  ttie  first ;  no 
iriegular  or  coxcomb  berries;  bright 
scarlet  colour  ;  good  but  not  high  qual- 
ity; shipping  and  keeping  qualities  only 
equalled  by  the  Wilson  and  Finch's  Pro- 
lific. Its  only  fault  is  that  of  having  a 
pistillate  or  imperfect  blossom,  requir- 
ing it  to  be  planted  with  or  near  some 
perfect  flowering  sort. 

Crescent  Seedling,  the  most  profitable 
early  market  berry  ;  its  one  great  fault 
is  that  of  the  fruit  running  very  small 
at  the  latter  end  of  the  season. 

Wilson  and  Charles  Downing,  our 
most  profitable  sorts  six  years  ago,  are 
now  of  very  little  value,  as  they  are  more 
easily  affected  by  the  strawberry  rust 
or  leaf  blight  than  any  of  our  other 
varieties. 

Miner' s Prolific  is  very  valuable  either 
for  market  or  home  use ;  with  us,  it 
fully  takes  the  place  of  the  Charles 
Downing. 

Sharpless  produces  only  a  moderate 
crop  on  one-year  beds,  while  those  two 
years  old  give  an  abundant  crop  of  ber- 
ries of  the  largest  average  size  of  any 
variety  we  have  ever  grown.  Its  first 
and  largest  berries  are  very  irregular  in 
shape,  and  have  the  fault  of  not  ripening 
all  over  at  once — therefore  requiring  to 
be  picked  with  unusual  care.  Owing  to 
its  large  size,  it  sells  for  the  highest  price 
in  market,  and  is  very  profitable  on 
strong,  rich  soil. 

Windsor  Chief  is  a  most  valuable  late 
market  variety,  producing  enormous 
crops  of  rich,  dark-colored  berries,  very 
acid,  yet  of  good  flavor. 

Mt.  Vernon,  very  late  and  prolific ; 
better  in  quality  than  the  Windsor  but 
not  as  firm. 

Finch's  Prolific,  vigorous  and  pro- 
ductive, fruit  medium  to  large,  perfect 
in  form,  bright  color,  fair  quality,  and 
very  firm.     This  and  the  Manchester  we 


think  destined  to  take  the  place  of  the 
Wilson  for  shipping  purposes. 

Bidwell,  which  did  so  well  vnih.  us 
last  season,  has  greatly  disappointed  us 
this,  not  only  on  our  own  grounds  but 
everywhere  that  we  have  seen  it.  The 
trouble  is  that  it  "  sets  "  more  fruit  than 
the  plant  can  carry  out,  and  the  result 
is  almost  a  total  failure — one  or  two  fair 
pickings,  and  that  is  all ;  and  we  doubt 
if  it  Avill  ever  prove  profitable  for  mar- 
ket, unless  possibly  on  very  strong,  rich 
soil  where  ii'rigation  can  be  practised ; 
we  say  this  with  much  regret  as  we  have 
several  acres  planted  for  next  year's 
fruiting,  and  had  hoped  for  great  things 
from  the  Bidwell. 

We  might  mention  many  others,  but 
the  ones  named  are  the  best  among  more 
than  one  hundred  sorts;  and  if  we  were 
to  plant  one  variety  for  market  it  would 
be  the  Manchester,  first,  last,  and  every 
time.  If  three  sorts,  Manchester,  Wind- 
sor and  Miner's  Prolific  ;  if  six  sorts, 
Manchester,  Windsor,  Miner's,  Finch, 
Crescent  and  Mt.  Yernon. 
■  Best  one  for  family  use,  Miner's  Pro- 
lific ;  best  three.  Miner's,  Manchester 
and  Mt.  Yernon ;  best  six.  Miner's, 
Manchester,  Mt.  Yernon,  Crystal  City, 
Sharpless  and  Cumberland  Triumph. 


GKAPE  LEAVES  FOR  PICKLES. 

I  wonder  if  housewives  generally  use 
fresh,  green  grape  leaves  to  put  on  top 
of  their  pickles  to  keep  them  sharp  and 
free  from  mold.  I  used  to  cover  them 
with  a  flannel  cloth,  and  rinse  it  out 
every  other  day.  Two  years  ago  a 
friend  told  me  that  grape  leaves  were 
much  nicer,  so  I  tried  them,  and  I  shall 
never  try  cloth  again.  Grape  leaves 
keep  pickles  the  best  of  anything  I 
have  ever  found.  I  change  them  once 
a  week,  and  the  vinegar  keeps  sharp 
and  clear,  and  it  imparts  a  nice  flavor 
to  the  pickles.  I  rinse  the  leaves  in 
pure  water,  and  let  them  drain  quite 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


225 


dry,  then  lay  them  over  every  place  in 
the  jar.  They  exclude  the  air  perfectly, 
and  are  better,  and  cause  less  work  than 
anything  else. — Country  Gentleman. 


ASPARAGUS. 

The  most  essential  requisite  for  suc- 
cessful Asparagus  culture  is  suflScient 
space,  and  yet  not  one  bed  in  ten  is 
planted  with  a  view  to  supply  this  need. 
The  old  system  of  paving  the  bottom 
and  crowding  the  roots  into  narrow 
beds,  so  that  they  could  not  extend  in 
either  direction,  must  have  been  bor- 
rowed from  the  Chinese,  with  whom 
the  dwarfing  and  distorting  of  forest 
trees  and  women's  feet  has  reached  the 
highest  perfection,  and  ranks  among 
the  fine  arts.  But,  as  even  the  Celes- 
tials are  commencing  to  shake  off  old 


Asparagus  Crown. 
su[>erstitious  notions,  we  shall,  perhaps, 
also  participate  in  the  march  of  pro- 
gress, and  plant  Asparagus  according 
to  the  natural  laws  governing  the 
plant. 

The  best  and  easiest  way  to  raise 
Asparagus  in  the  garden  is  to  plant  it 
two  feet  apart  in  a  single  row,  and  let 
the  roots  reach  out,  for  their  nourish- 
ment, as  far  as  they  may.  If  it  is  not 
feasible  to  lengthen  the  row  sufiiciently 
to  produce  all  the  Asparagus  desired, 
a  second  row  may  be  planted  not 
nearer  than  four  feet  to  the  first,  and 
when  more  space  can  be  given  a  dis- 
tance of  six  feet  is  preferable. — Ameri- 
can Garden. 


PROLONGING  THE  SEASON  OF  PEAS. 

How  to  prolong  the  bearing  season 
of  Peas,  as  much  as  possible,  has  always 
been  a  problem,  the  solution  of  which  is 
of  great  importance  to  every  one  who 
cultivates  a  garden,  and  the  experience 
of  Mr.  H.  J.  Seymour,  Madison  Co., 
New-York,  in  this  regard,  deserves  con- 
sideration. 

Mr.  Seymour  writes  :  "  While  hoeing, 
last  summer,  my  Little  Gem  Peas,  grow- 
ing on  rich,  mucky  land,  between  straw  - 
berry  rows  four  feet  apart,  I  noticed  that 
some  of  the  plants  had  more  than  one 
bearing  stalk.  The  question  occurred 
to  me  why  all  could  not  have  several 
stalks,  and,  of  course,  more  pods,  pro- 
vided the  land  was  rich  enough  and  there 
was  room  enough  between  them  for  air 
and  sunshine.  Then  came  the  thought 
of  what  I  had  heard  and  read  about 
shortening-in-plants  to  make  them  more 
stocky  and  fruitful,  and  of  the  practica- 
bility of  a  similar  treatment  for  peas. 
It  was  already  late  in  the  season,  the 
fii-st  blossoms  just  showing  themselves 
in  most  cases,  yet  the  experiment  was 
worth  trying,  and  as  I  had  an  acre  of 
these  peas  it  could  not  amount  to  much 
if  I  did  injure  a  few  plants.  So  I  coun- 
ted off  just  six  hundred  plants  on  one 
row,  stuck  a  stake  firmly  in  the  ground 
and  pinched  remorselessly  an  inch  or 
more,  blossoms  and  all,  from  the  top  of 
every  one  of  these  plants.  Then  I  coun- 
ted six  hundred  plants  on  the  row  next 
to  this,  and  drove  a  stake,  without  dis- 
turbing the  plants. 

"I  watched  the  decapitated  vines  with 
much  interest,  and  sure  enough  new 
branches  came  out  abundantly  near  the 
ground  and  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves. 
They  finally  budded,  blossomed,  and 
fruited  more  abundantly  than  their 
neighbors,  although  about  a  week  later. 
None  of  the  peas  were  picked,  the  entire 
crop  being  saved  for  seed.  They  were 
threshed,  winnowed,  and  carefully  mea- 


226 


THE  CANADIAN  HORTICULTUEIST. 


sured  separately  on  the  22nd  of  August, 
with  the  following  result :  The  six  hun- 
dred headed-off  plants  yielded  Jive  plump 
quarts,  while  the  six  hundred  unpruned 
ones  in  the  adjoining  row,  yielded/owr 
scant  quarts." 

The  practical  value  of  thisshortening- 
in  of  pea- vines,  as  appears  from  this  sin- 
gle experiment,  consists,  therefore,  not 
only  in  an  increased  productiveness  of 
twenty-five  per  cent.,  but  also  in  the 
prolonging  of  the  period  of  picking  from 
a  single  planting.  By  pruning  a  part 
of  the  vines,  the  harvest  of  these  becomes 
delayed  a  week,  and  thus  all  the  advan- 
tages may  be  secured  that  would  other- 
wise require  two  plantings. — The  Ame- 
rican Garden. 


EGG-PLANTS— HOW  TO  KEEP  THEM. 

Those  who  have  a  good  stock  of  egg 
plants  on  hand,  most  certainly  have  an 
excellent  and  very  conveinent  article. 
They  can  easily  be  kept  till  Christmas 
by  storing  away  in  a  cool  cellar,  not 
too  dry,  on  shelves.  Though  they  may 
wilt  and  shrivel  away,  this  does  not  in- 
jure them  in  the  least.  They  form  a 
most  agreeable  and  excellent  dish  at 
dinner. 

The  usual  way  of  cooking  by  cutting 
in  slices,  sprinkling  on  salt  an  hour  be- 
fore frying,  and  allowing  the  vegetable 
juice  to  dmin  out,  when  they  are  rolled 
in  batter,  or  dry  bread  or  cracker 
crumbs  and  fried,  is  of  course  well 
known.  But  a  much  better  way  is  to 
cut  the  egg  plant  in  half,  longitudi- 
nally, like  a  water  melon,  scrape  out  the 
interior  contents  as  close  to  the  rind  as 
possible,  mixing  the  pulped  mass  with 
stale  bread  or  cracker  crumbs,  a  beaten 
egg,  and  seasoned  with  salt  and  pepper, 
then  returning  the  whole  into  the  shell 
and  baking,  makes  a  most  savory  dish 
that  would  be  very  popular  if  it  were 
better  known. — Prairie  Farmer. 


FRUIT  ON  THE  TABLE. 

"Quite  a  large  number  of  farmers 
have  come  to  feel  that  they  were  not  do- 
ing their  family  justice  without  placing 
upon  their  table,  a  bountiful  dish  of 
fruits,  such  as  the  various  seasons  of  the 
year  afibrd,  beginning  with  Straw- 
berries, and  following  with  Cherries, 
Currants,  Raspberries,  Blackberries, 
Grapes,  Apples,  Peaches,  Plums,  and 
Pears.  Farmers  of  this  class  are  not  so 
numerous  as  they  should  be,  nor  as  they 
will  be  in  our  opinion,  ten  or  twenty 
years  hence." — American  Rural  Home. 

"  While  there  has  been  a  marked  im- 
provement at  the  tables  of  many  of  our 
farmers  within  the  last  few  years  there  is 
yet  much  to  learn.  One  of  the  greatest 
faults  in  this  direction,  and  one  of  which 
is  the  cause  of  very  much  illness,  is  the 
comparatively  small  quantity  of  fruit 
they  use.  It  is  a  mistake  to  consider 
that  fruit,  like  confectionery,  is  to  be 
taken  only  between  meals,  and  not  to  be 
connected  in  the  work  of  sustaining  life." 
— Farmers  Advocate. 

Such  are  some  of  the  profound  utter- 
ances of  the  late  Agricultural  Press  vipon 
the  subject  of  fruit,  as  food  upon  the 
tables  of  our  farmers.  It  is  unquestion- 
ably a  subject  of  great  importance  and 
influence  in  the  economy  and  hygiene  of 
our  people.  Fruit  on  the  table  is  not 
merely  a  question  of  fruit  for  show,  not 
merely  to  beautify  or  decorate,  or  to 
please  our  fancy,  but  more  substantially 
for  food,  for  the  sustenance  and  support 
of  our  exhausted  physical  forces,  for 
medication  and  health,  for  pure  animal 
enjoyments,  as  well  as  to  defend  us 
against  the  many  dangerous  and  hurtful 
influences  to  which  "  flesh  is  heir." 
Fruit  in  this  connection  is  one  of  those 
many  merciful  provisions  of  nature,  de- 
signed for  the  highest  and  purest  enjoy- 
ments of  the  needy  creature  man,  one  of 
those  safeguards  that  the  Creator  of  all 
has  thrown  around  frail  human  life.     In 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


227 


itB  very  nature  it  is  health-giving  and 
pleasurable.  It  is  mainly  composed  of 
diluted  sugars  and  acids  in  delightful  ad- 
mixture held  together  by  fine  vegetable 
tissues,  and  in  this  diluted  form  is  found 
not  only  pleasurable,  but  essentially 
necessary  for  the  well  being  of  the  ani- 
mal economy,  It  will  be  well  for  us  to 
understand  here  that  whenever  fruit  is 
mentioned  in  this  connection,  matured 
and  well  ripened  fruit  must  be  under- 
stood. Fruit  in  that  beautiful  tempting 
condition,  when  the  internal  acids  are 
largely  changed  to  sugars,  and  the  whole 
mass  is  of  that  inviting  toothsome  color 
that  engages  at  once  the  sense  of  sight, 
and  is  in  that  yielding,  state  of  softness 
to  the  touch,  that  gives  assurance  to  the 
eater. 

The  influences  of  such  food  upon  the 
human  constitution  is  doubtless  very 
great  and  definitely  marked.  This  to 
us  is  the  embrosia  and  nectar  that  v/cre 
formerly  thought  becoming  for  the  Die- 
ties  only  to  use  as  food  and  never  for 
ordinary  mortals.  The  keen  observer 
of  human  nature  can  almost  readily 
descern  at  a  glance  the  difierence  be- 
tween the  man  who  is  in  the  habitual 
use  of  fruits  and  vegetables  largely  in 
his  diet  and  the  man  who  has  a  large 
dose  only  of  animal  ingredients  in  his 
constitution.  In  the  first  case  the  food 
being  select,  congenial  and  mild,  the 
nature  manifests  the  benign  influence 
of  such  congeniality.  How  different  is 
this  beautiful  influence  to  that  of  the 
mere  animal  or  flesh  eater.  By  this  we 
would  not  be  undei-stood  to  discard  in 
to  to,  animal  diet,  on  the  contrary  we 
practice  and  most  devotedly  believe  in 
a  mixed  diet  as  best  and  most  suitable 
to  the  urgent  necessities  of  our  present 
economy.  What  we  do  mean  is  simply 
this,  that  we  most  firaily  believe  that 
we,  as  a  people  use  too  much  animal 
diet,  and  if  fruit  more  and  more  entered 
into  our  daily  diet,  it  would,  in  our 
humble  opinion  be  better  for  us  intel- 


lectually, physically  and  morally.  Fur- 
ther, we  believe  and  would  teach  the 
use  of  fruit  at  all  seasons,  and  at  all 
times.  We  believe  in  fresh  fruit,  in 
canned  fruit,  in  evaporated  fruit,  and  in 
preserved  fruit,  in  jellies,  in  marmalades, 
in  beverages,  in  cider  and  in  wine.  We 
believe  in  its  use  further,  in  the  autumn 
and  in  the  spring,  in  the  summer  and 
in  the  winter  and  on  all  days  and  oc- 
casions in  company  and  out  of  company. 
In  short,  we  firmly  believe  in  the  wis- 
dom of  its  use  thoroughly,  wholly  and 
completely.  We  believe  furthermore 
in  all  fruits  that  are  by  our  experience 
known  to  be  good  for  food,  and  pleasant 
to  the  eye,  and  to  be  desired  to  make 
us  better.  In  this  connection  we  believe 
in  stiTiwberries  of  all  sorts  although 
connoisseurs  would  fain  have  us  believe 
that  some  varieties  are  better  than 
others.  But  to  us  they  are  all  good  and 
equally  to  be  taken  with  equal  amounts 
of  rich  and  well  prepared  fixings.  We 
believe  also  in  raspberries  and  black- 
berries and  can  take  them  in  equal 
doses.  With  our  present  facilities  for 
preserving  and  canning  these  fine  sum- 
mer fruits  we  believe  it  is  our  duty  to 
have  them  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
and  in  greatest  abundance.  We  believe 
also  in  currants  and  gooseberries  and  in 
all  varieties  but  not  so  firmly  as  we  do 
those  of  strawberries.  Our  reasons  for 
this  are  private,  but  nevertheless  we 
believe  in  them.  However,  we  most 
firmly  believe  in  the  free  and  untram- 
melled use  of  the  whole  of  the  following 
list  of  superb  native  fruits,  viz. :  Apples 
and  gi'apes,  and  these  in  all  their  endless 
variety  of  sorts  and  kinds.  In*  these 
fine  fruits  is  an  almost  endless  divei-sity 
of  quality,  as  hard  and  soft,  as  sour  and 
sweet,  as  woody  and  melting,  as  strong 
flavored  and  insipid,  as  buttery  and  as 
sugary,  but  still  we  believe  in  tjbem. 
We  believe  they  all  have  an  appointed 
place  to  fill,  a  work  to  do  and  a  use  to 
exert  and  a  character  to  sustain. 


228 


THE   CA.NADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


We  believe  also  in  tropical  as  well  as 
temperate  fruits,  and  those  of  all  sorts, 
whether  they  may  be  called  oranges  or 
lemons  from  the  torrid  and  tro{)ical 
regions  of  California  or  Florida,  or 
whether  dates  or  figs  from  the  more 
tropical  clime  of  the  East  India  Islands, 
or  whether  they  may  be  limes  or  ba- 
nannas,  we  could  still  use  them  and 
relish  them  and  be  thankful  for  them. 
But  in  our  endless  and  varied  wealth  of 
rich  and  tempting  fruits  suitable  to  our 
condition  and  clime,  we  are  most  happy 
to  say,  we  need  never  covet  the  tropical 
fruit  of  the  southern  zone.  Our  basket 
of  fruit  is  so  rich,  so  varied,  so  tempting, 
so  seasonable,  so  lucious  and  delightful. 
Our  earnest  and  best  advice  then  to  the 
people  of  this  whole  country  from  what- 
ever part  of  the  Globe  you  may  have 
come,  to  the  high,  and  to  the  low,  to  the 
rich  and  to  the  poor,  to  th^  male  and  to 
the  female,  to  the  young  and  to  the  old, 
whatsoever  you  may  be  or  whatsoever 
may  be  your  name,  use  fruit.  Give  it 
constantly  and  plentifully  to  yourself, 
to  your  wife,  to  your  son  and  to  your 
daughter.  Give  it  without  stint  to  your 
manservant  and  to  your  maidservant,  to 
your  ox  and  to  your  horse  and  to  the 
stranger  within  your  gates.  We  have 
thus  attemjjted  to  show  the  value  of  our 
native  staple-fruits  as  well  as  all  fruits 
and  some  of  the  reasons  why  they  should 
be  more  generally  placed  upon  our  tables, 
upon  our  dining  tables  and  upon  our 
tea  tables  and  upon  our  festive  boards, 
for  our  use  and  comfort.  While  we  are 
very  anxious  to  produce  good  fruits  for 
export,  fruits  well  fitted  for  the  English 
market,  we  see  at  the  same  time  rery  lit- 
tle good  fruit  placed  upon  the  tables  of 
our  peasantry,  as  though  it  was  perfectly 
fit  and  proper  for  the  Englishman  to  use, 
hut  not  good  for  us.  We  emphatically 
teach  the  contrary.  Place  it  upon  your 
tables  in  a  natural  state,  in  a  prepared 
state,  for  the  meal,  for  dessert  for  use 
and  our  humble  word  for  it,  the  public 


health  and  the  public  purse  would  be  the 
gainer. — B.  Gott. 


MARKETING  CURRANTS. 
The  consumption  of  Currants,  both  as 
a  table  fruit  and  for  preserving  increases 
every  year.  Thousands  of  gallons  of 
juice  are  pressed  out  annually  by  the 
large  preserving  houses  in  New  York 
city.  This  juice  is  so  prepared  that  it 
keeps  for  many  months,  and  large  quan- 
tities are  sold  to  persons  who  cannot 
procure  the  fruit  in  season,  or  do  not 
find  it  convenient  to  press  it  out  them- 
selves. In  addition  to  this,  tons  upon 
tons  are  manuftictured  into  jelly,  which 
finds  ready  sale  for  fancy-cake  bakers 
and  confectioners. 

For  preserving  purposes  the  old  Red 
Dutch  Currant  is  preferred,  and  many 
preservers  will  buy  no  other  kinds,  while 
other  manufacturers  are  less  particular, 
and  buy  whatever  is  cheapest.  There 
is  but  little  demand  from  grocers  and 
fruit-dealers  for  this  small  variety,  as  for 
table  use  only  the  large  "  Cherry  "  and 
"Versailles"  find  sale.  Dealers  in  fancy 
fruits  take  much  pains  to  procure  extra 
large,  selected  Currants,  and  good  prices 
are  realized  by  those  marketing  a  first- 
class  grade. 

The  best  packages  for  shipping  are 
baskets  containing  from  eight  to  ten 
pounds,  packed  in  berry  crates.  Persons 
shipping  from  a  considerable  distance 
find  it  more  advantageous  to  make  cheap 
temporary  crates  for  these  baskets  than 
to  send  berry  crates  which  have  to  be 
returned.  The  ordinary  quart  berry- 
basket  answers  the  purpose  very  well, 
and,  in  fact,  is  preferable  to  the  peach- 
basket  or  any  other  of  that  size. 

For  White  Currants  there  is  but  a 
very  limited  demand  in  the  New  York 
market.  Black  Currants,  although  not 
in  great  demand,  sell  fairly.  These, 
being  more  solid  than  the  red  and  white, 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


229 


may  be  shipped  in  any  ordinary  box  or 
basket  without  injury. 

In  j)acking  Currants  for  shipping,  the 
baskets  should  be  well  filled,  that  the 
fruit  cannot  shake  and  become  dam- 
aged during  transportation.  All  Cur- 
rants are  sold  by  the  pound  ;  the  net 
weight  of  the  baskets  or  boxes  they  are 
shipped  in  should  therefore  be  plainly 
marked  on  the  outside  of  every  pack- 
age.— Amei-ican  Garden. 


NOTES  ON  HYBRID  TEA  ROSES. 

This  family  of  roses  is  of  recent  origin . 
Nearly  all  the  varieties  in  this  family 
were  raised  and  introduced  by  Mr. 
Henry  Bennett,  of  England,  from  seed 
of  Tea  Hoses  fertilized  with  Hybrid 
Perpetuals.  The  result  is  we  have  a 
race  of  roses,  giving  us  the  free  blooming 
qualities  of  the  former,  with  some  of 
the  hardiness  of  the  latter  class.  This 
new  race  of  roses  will  probably  take  an 
important  position  in  American  rose- 
culture,  as  they  give  us  early  bloom, 
beginning  in  early  summer,  and  give  a 
succession  until  frost,  I  will  give  a 
description  of  some  of  the  best  for  gen- 
eral culture. 

Beauty  ofStapleford. — Flowers  large, 
sometimes  very  large,  color,  bright 
pink  ;  centre  rosy  carmine  ;  buds  very 
fine  ;  free  bloomer  and  nice  grower. 

Pierre  Guillot. — Flowers  very  large 
and  double ;  color,  clear  red  veined 
with  white,  and  highly  fragrant;  a  good 
bloomer,  and  one  of  the  finest  roses  in 
cultivation. 

La  France. — Flowers  very  large  and 
full ;  color,  a  lovely  peach  ;  very  fra- 
grant ;  a  good  bloomer,  and  the  finest 
rose  of  its  color  grown. 

Antoin^  Verdier. — Flowers  large  and 
double  ;  color,  bright  pink  ;  blooms  in 
clusters  ;  a  very  free  bloomer. 

Viscountess  Falmouth. — Flowers  very 
large,  very  double  ;  color,  delicate  pink ; 


delightfully  fragrant ;  a  choice  rose  in 
a  collection. 

Nancy  Lee. — Flowers  medium;  color, 
bright  pink ;  fragrant ;  a  good,  free 
bloomer, 

Michael  Saunders. — Flowers  large 
and  very  double  ;  color,  a  rich  crimson ; 
the  plant  is  a  good  grower  and  free 
bloomer  ;  a  very  good  rose. 

Jean  Sisley. — Flowers  very  large  and 
double  ;  color,  rosy  lilac,  edges  of  petals 
silvery ;  opens  finely,  and  is  a  good 
bloomer. 

Pearl. — Flowers  medium  size,  quite 
double ;  color,  pale  flesh ;  a  finely 
formed  rose  and  very  good  bloomer. 

L>uke  of  Connaught. — Flowers  large, 
buds  very  tine  ;  a  very  free  bloomer  ; 
color,  deep,  velvety  crimson  ;  growth 
moderate  ;  requires  rich  soil  to  do  well. 

Madame  Alexander  Bernaix. — Flow- 
ers large  and  full  ;  color,  clear  rose  ; 
flowers  finely  formed  ;  a  good  bloomer, 
and  fragrant. 

Madame  Julie  Weidman. — Flowers 
large  and  well  formed ;  color,  clear 
salmon  pink  ;  a  good  bloomer. — An- 
TOINE  WiNTZER,  in  Farm  and  Garden. 

CUCUMBER  PICKLES. 

I  never  plant  cucumbers  for  pickles 
before  June  15th,  as  the  striped  bug 
seldom  troubles  them  after  this  date, 
and  I  have  grown  excellent  crops  plan- 
ted the  first  of  July.  I  prefer  the  Early 
Cluster  for  pickles,  as  this  sort  does  not 
run  to  vine  so  much  as  the  Long  Green. 
It  will  bear  closer  planting,  and  the 
pickles  are  easier  picked.  There  are 
certain  strains  of  this  variety  which  are 
earlier  and  more  prolific  than  others, 
and  I  have  found  that  sold  under  the 
name  of  Boston  Pickling,  and  Perfec- 
tion Pickling,  far  superior  to  the  ordin- 
ary Cluster.  With  these  varieties  one 
may  plant  5  by  5  feet,  which  will 
give  over  1,700  hills  to  the  acre.     No 


230 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTUEIST. 


matter  how  rich  the  land  is,  I  find  it 
pays  to  manure  in  the  hill ;  cover  the 
manure  about  four  inches  with  mellow 
earth,  and  drop  the  seed  on  the  hill  and 
step  on  it.  This  presses  it  down  firmly 
into  the  soil,  and  prevents  its  drying  out, 
while  the  loose  earth,  with  which  I 
cover,  keeps  it  from  baking.  The  seed 
will  come  up  sooner  and  much  more  uni- 
formly for  this  pressing  into  the  soil. 
If  the  weather  is  favorable  the  vines  will 
run  in  five  weeks  so  that  one  cannot 
cultivate  with  a  horse  and  up  to  that 
time  the  more  they  are  cultivated  the 
better. 

As  soon  as  fairly  in  the  rough  leaf, 
thin  to  four  in  a  hill.  With  good 
weather  you  can  begin  picking  in  six 
weeks  from  planting,  and  to  get  a  nice, 
uniform-sized  pickle,  they  must  be  gone 
ov<  every  day.  The  vines  should  never 
be  moved  in  picking  them,  for  a  vine 
that  is  disturbed  never  does  so  well  after- 
wards. The  best-sized  pickles  are  those 
from  three  to  four  inches  in  length.  If 
any  are  missed  until  they  are  too  large 
for  pickles,  they  must  be  taken  off"  the 
next  day,  for  the  vine  on  which  a  cu- 
cumber is  going  to  seed  will  not  continue 
to  bear  pickles.  A  forty-gallon  barrel 
will  hold  about  4,000  of  the  small-sized 
pickles,  after  they  are  salted,  and  I  have 
kept  them  three  or  four  years.  I  do  not 
use  brine  for  salting,  but  put  in  a  layer 
of  salt,  and  one  of  pickles,  and  let  them 
make  their  own  brine.  It  will  take 
about  a  half  bushel  of  salt  for  a  barrel 
of  pickles,  and  the  barrel  will  need  to 
be  filled  up  two  or  three  times  as  they 
settla  A  board  that  will  fit  into  the 
i^sad  of  the  barrel  should  be  placed  on 
them,  and  a  weight  sufficient  to  keep 
them  under  the  brine.  I  would  rather 
sell  the  pickles  as  gathered  for  $1.50  per 
1,000  than  to  salt  them,  although  I  have 
never  sold  at  less  than  $2.50.  It  is 
difficult  to  state  with  accuracy  the  yield 
of  an  acre  of  pickles,  but  under  favorable 
circumstances  they  will  yield  a  large 


profit  at  the  lowest  price  named.  I 
have  often  grown  my  best  turnip  crops 
among  the  pickles,  and  I  have  adopted 
the  rule  of  always  sowing  turnips  at  the 
last  hoeing  of  the  pickles.  The  shade  of 
the  vines  seems  to  be  favorable,  and 
there  is  plenty  of  time  after  the  pickles 
are  done  bearing  for  the  turnip  crop  to 
mature. — <W.  F.  Brown,  in  the  Country 
Gentleman. 


THE  CULTIVATION  OF  THE 
SUMAC. 

There  are  thousands  of  people  who 
wander  through  the  woods  in  AutumjD, 
picking  the  beautiful  scarlet  and  yel- 
low leaves  of  the  sumac  bush  to  deco- 
rate their  rooms,  without  knowing  that 
there  is  any  other  use  for  the  plant. 
Yet  the  importation  of  the  sumac  into 
the     United    States     this    year,     will 
amount  to  about  11,000  tons,  costing 
about  $1,000,000.     The   leaves  of  the 
sumac,    dried  and  ground,  are  largely 
used    in   tanning   and  dyeing,  and  in 
Sicily  and  other  parts  of  Italy  the  plant 
is  carefully  cultivated  and  treated.     In 
view   of  the  fact  that  the   American 
sumac  contains  from  six  to  eight  per 
cent,  more  tannic  acid  than  the  Italian, 
and  rem.embering  that  the  plant  grows 
in  wild  profusion  throughout  the  coun- 
try, it  seems  reasonable  to  believe  that 
it  might  be  a  very  profitable  crop.     At 
the  present  time  the  amount  of  native 
sumac  brought  into  market  does  not 
exceed  8,000  tons  yearly,  and  its  mar- 
ket price  is  only  $50  per  ton,  just  half 
the  price  of  the  Italian  product.     This 
large  difierence  in  the  market  value  of 
the  foreign  and  domestic  article  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  American  sumac,  as 
at  present  prepared,  is  not  suitable  for 
making  the  finer  white  leather  so  much 
used  for  gloves  and  fancy  shoes,  owing 
to  its  giving  a  disagreeable  yellow  or 
dirty  color. 
The  many  attempts  that  have  been 


THE   CANADIAN   H0ETICULTURI8T. 


231 


made  to  avoid  this  difficulty  by  care  in 
collecting  and  grinding  the  leaves  have 
not  resulted  in  success,  and  it  has  long 
been  supposed  that  this  objectionable 
quality  was  inherent  in  the  American 
plant ;  but  Mr.  William  McMurtrie,  in 
a  report  to  the  United  States  Commis- 
sioner of  Agriculture,  shows  that  this 
difficulty  can  be  surmounted  and  the 
American  product  made  even  superior 
to  the  foreign.  Mr.  McMurtrie  made 
a  number  of  tests  to  learn  the  relative 
amounts  of  tannic  acid  found  in  the 
leaves  at  different  periods  of  their  de- 
velopment, and  whiie  the  amount  was 
found  to  be  greatest  in  the  leaves 
gathered  in  July,  he  found  that  those 
gathered  in  full  development  in  June 
were  even  then  more  than  equal  to  the 
best  foreign  leaves  in  this  respect.  But, 
further,  he  found  that  the  deleterious 
coloring  matter  (due  to  the  presence  of 
quercitrin)  was  not  yet  developed,  and 
that  therefore  the  American  leaves 
gathered  in  June  were  superior  to  the 
Italian  for  all  purposes. 

The  importance  of  this  discovery  may 
be  seen  by  the  fact  that  the  cultivation 
of  the  plant  may  be  carried  on  most 
profitably  in  this  country  as  soon  as 
manufacturers  and  dealers  recognize  the 
improvement  thus  obtained  in  the  do- 
mestic article,  and  by  classifying  it  ac- 
cording to  its  percentage  of  tannic  acid, 
and  its  relative  freedom  from  coloring 
matter,  advance  the  price  of  that  which 
is  early  picked  and  carefully  treated. 
In  Italy  the  sumac  is  planted  in  shoots 
in  the  Spring,  in  rows,  and  is  cultivated 
in  the  same  way  and  about  to  the  sam^ 
extent  as  corn.  It  gives  a  crop  the 
second  year  after  setting  out  and  reg- 
ularly thereafter.  The  sumac  gathered 
in  this  country  is  taken  mostly  from 
wild  plants  growing  on  waste  land,  but 
there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be 
utilized  and  cultivated  on  land  not 
valuable  for  other  purpoBes. — Scientific 
American. 


THE  SOUHEGAN  RASPBERRY. 

This  very  valuable,  early,  and  prolific 
blackcap  is  a  chance  seedling,  origin- 
ating in  the  garden  of  a  Mr.  Carleton,  of 
Hillsboro'  county.  New  Hampshire, 
about  1870,  and  for  the  past  five  or  six 
years  he  has  had  two  or  three  acres  of 
it  growing  for  market.  I  visited  the 
original  plantation  several  years  ago, 
and  was  so  very  favorably  impressed 
with  its  great  value  as  an  early  market 
berry,  that  I  at  once  made  arrangements 
with  the  originator  for  his  stock  of 
plants.  For  three  years  now  we  have 
had  it  in  fruiting  at  Elm  Fruit  Farm, 
and  have  received  far  better  returns 
from  it  than  from  any  other  Raspberry 
we  have  ever  grown. 

It  surpasses  all  other  sorts  in  three 
very  important  points,  viz  :  hardiness, 
earliness,  and  great  productiveness. 

The  canes  are  very  vigorous,  branch- 
ing quite  freely,  with  many  strong, 
sharp  spines.  In  hardiness  and  vigor 
of  plant  it  has  no  equal  among  black- 
caps, and  I  doubt  if  even  the  hardy 
Turner,  which  is  called  the  "iron-clad" 
among  red  sorts,  is  any  more  hardy. 
From  last  year's  experience  I  am  led 
to  think  that  Souhegan  is  the  more 
hardy  of  the  two,  as  Turner  was  badly 
damaged  in  one  of  our  fields,  while 
Souhegan  was  uninjured  ;  and  among 
the  hills  of  New  Hampshire,  and  along 
the  banks  of  the  Souhegan  River,  near 
where  it  originated,  it  has  always  passed 
through  the  winters  sound  to  the  tip. 
In  my  travels  the  past  month,  in  fifteen 
States  and  the  Canadag,  wherever  I 
found  the  Soubegan  growing,  almost 
the  first  thing  said  of  it  was,  "It  is 
the  most  hardy  plant  we  havL." 

The  originator  claims  that  it  is  four 
times  as  productive  as  any  other  black- 
cap, and  while  I  cannot  fully  agree 
with  him,  must  admit  that  it  is  far 
more  prolific  than  anything  I  know. 
Quarts  upon  quarts  of  delicious  berries, 


232 


THE   CAJSlDIAN    HORTICUL'TURIST. 


jet  black  in  color  and  approaching  the 
Gregg  in  size,  are  piled  upon  the  bushes. 
It  is  about  one  week  earlier  than  the 
Doolittle  (which  in  years  past  has  been 
the  early  market  black-cap},  and  herein 
lies  its  chief  value,  ripening  as  it  does 
along  with  the  late  varieties  of  Straw- 
berries, when  fruit  is  scarce,  it  just  tills 
in  the  gap  before  the  red  Raspberries, 
and  sells  for  double  the  price  of  Mam- 
moth Cluster  or  Gregg,  which  are  ten 
days  or  two  weeks  later. — J.  H.  Hale, 
in  Farm  and  Garden. 


ZINC  LABELS. 
Sheet  zinc,  from  its  indestructibility, 
and  the  ease  with  which  it  may  be  cut 
and  managed,  is  a  favorite  material  for 
tree  and  shrub  labels.  If  cut  in  the 
form  of  a  very  long  tapering  wedge,  the 
smaller  portion  may  be  coiled  around  a 
twig,  or  small  branch,  and  thus  avoid 
the  use  of  a  wire,  and  where  the  small 
end  of  the  label  is  coiled  around  a  small 
branch,  it  will  yield  to  the  increase  of 
that  in  size,  and  not  cause  strangulation. 
The  old  method  with  zinc  labels  was  to 
write  upon  them  with  an  ink  made  of 
some  salt  of  copper,  and  several  have 
asked  for  the  formula  for  preparing  it. 
The  original  ink  was  made  of  Verdigris 
and  Sal-ammoniac,  of  each  2  drams, 
Lamp-black  1  dram.  Water  4  oz.  As 
these  need  to  be  well  rubbed  together, 
it  will  be  as  well  to  let  the  apothecary 
mix  them  in  a  mortar.  This  is  to  be 
used  with  a  quill  pen  upon  the  surface 
of  zinc  that  has  been  made  clean  and 
bright  by  the  use  of  emery  paper.  We 
have  been  informed  by  our  correspon- 
dent "  Horticola  "  that  a  strong  solu- 
tion of  Sulphate  of  Copper — "  Blue 
Vitriol,"  or  *'  Blue-stone,"  will  answer 
the  same  purpose,  adding  a  little  gum 
water  to  the  solution,  if  need  be,  to 
prevent  the  ink  from  spreading.  The 
use  of  the  lamp-black  in  the  ink  first 
mentioned,  is  only  to  make  the  ink 
visible  while  writing  with  it.     In  both 


these  cases,  the  copper  is,  by  chemical 
action,  deposited  upon  the  zinc,  and, 
becoming  oxidized,  makes  a  permanent 
and  conspicious  writing.  Another  and 
much  simpler  method  is  simply  to  write 
upon  a  clean  zinc  surface  with  a  common 
lead  pencil.  By  the  action  of  the  air 
the  zinc  becomes  tarnished  and  grayish, 
while  the  black  lead  prevents  any  such 
change  where  the  writing  is,  and  though 
not  so  conspicious  as  that  written  with 
the  ink,  is  quite  as  permanent,  and 
being  much  less  trouble  is  preferable. — 
American  Agriculturist. 

PRUNING  ROSES. 
Roses  are  better  for  a  little  pruning,  if 
it  has  been  previously  neglected.  This 
must  of  course  be  done  with  a  definite 
object  in  view.  First,  a  well  shaped 
bush  on  top,  and  also  to  promote  growth 
to  a  desired  end,  as  for  instance,  whether 
the  plant  is  to  be  a  standard  trained  on 
a  pillar,  or  a  trellis,  a  wall,  etc.  Again 
some  varieties  require  more  pruning 
than  others,  but  in  all  pruning  the  cut 
should  be  made  so  that  the  terminal 
bud  will  be  left  in  position  for  the  most 
favorable  growth,  whether  right,  left  or 
upwards.  If  a  great  quantity  of  bloom 
is  wanted  irrespective  of  size,  prune 
only  so  as  to  have  the  plant  in  good 
shape  and  well  furnished.  If  large 
bloom  is  required,  after  taking  out  all 
weak  wood,  cut  the  balance  back  to  not 
more  thanthreeorfourbudseach.  Some 
roses  as  a  rule  require  less  cutting  in 
the  West  than  in  the  East,  and  for  the 
farm  yard  all  that  will  be  necessary  will 
be  to  thin  each  season  as  may  be  indi- 
cated by  the  previous  summer's  growth. 
So-called  Hybrid  perpetuals  (Remont- 
ants)  that  bloom  in  the  spring  and  again 
in  the  late  summer,  may  be  cut  back 
after  the  first  bloom  is  over,  when  they 
will  generally  make  growth  for  the  au- 
tumn bloom. 

The  Remontants  require  little  pruning 
in  summer.    They,  however,  must  have 


THE  CANADIAN  H0RTICULTUEI8T. 


233 


plenty  of  manure  and  water,  especially 
in  the  drouth  of  summer,  if  autumn 
blooming  is  expected. 

The  ever  blooming  class  comprises 
four  principal  sub-classes,  Noisette,  Tea, 
Bengal  and  Bourbon.  The  Noisette 
are  strong  in  growth,  usually  bearing 
their  bloom  in  clusters.  The  Bourbons 
come  nearer  to  the  Remontants  and 
the  Teas  and  Bengals  are  of  more  deli- 
cate growth  and  generally  liked  in  the 
North  for  pot  growth.  None  of  this 
class  require  excessive  pruning,  only 
occasionally  cutting  back  in  out-door 
culture.  For  pot  cultivation  plants 
started  the  previous  season  are  pre- 
ferred.— Prairie  Farmer. 


MANCHESTER  STRAWBERRY. 

The  Manchester,  regarding  which  we 
have  hitherto  restrained  any  positive 
expression  of  opinion,  is  one  of  the  most 
desirable  strawberries  we  have  ever 
raised,  and  we  have  tested  not  less  than 
250  different  kinds.  The  only  thing 
that  can  be  said  against  it  is  that  it  is  a 
pistillate,  and  must  be  grown  near  per- 
fect-flowering sorts,  which  for  many 
farmers  is  attended  with  trouble  or  per- 
haps inconvenience.  Our  plants  are 
exceedingly  vigorous  and  productive. 
We  have  just  examined  them  and  find 
that  each  plant,  on  an  average  bears 
16  peduncles  or  flowering  stems,  and 
each  flowering  stem  bears,  on  an  aver- 
age, 10  berries — giving  160  berries  to  a 
plant.  We  beg  to  emphasize  that  we 
are  speaking  of  average  plants.  On  one 
plant  we  counted  22  peduncles  and  220 
berries  in  the  various  stages  from  ripe  to 
just  set.  This  berry  is  firm,  very  uni- 
form as  to  shape,  which  is  roundish  coni- 
cal ; — it  ripens  in  every  part  and  aver- 
ages above  medium  as  long  as  it  remains 
in  fruit.  The  quality  when  ripe  is  good, 
though,  like  the  Wilson,  it  is  sour  when 
it  first  colors — a  characteristic,  it  seems, 
of  all   excellent   market   bemee.      It 


npens  with  the  Sharpless  and  after  the 
Bid  well.  On  the  grounds  of  the  plain, 
hard-working  farmer,  Mr.  Jesse  Beatty, 
with  whom  it  originated,  it  thrives  in  a 
light,  dry,  sandy  soil.  With  us  it 
thrives  in  a  moist  soil  inclining  to  clay. 
Several  years  ago,  from  our  own  tests, 
we  spoke  highly  of  the  Sharpless,  and 
soon  after  its  introduction,  of  the  Cum- 
berland Triumph.  We  have  never  had 
occasion  to  regret  this,  and  we  have  now 
little  fear  that  we  shall  regret  commend- 
ing the  Manchester  to  our  readers  as  the 
best  market  berry  at  present  known. 
It  is  now  in  the  hands  of  all  nurserymen 
and  will  be  offered  at  reasonaole  prices 
next  Spring,  if  not  this  Fall. — Rural 
New  Yoi'ker. 


AN  EXPERIMENT  WITH  PEAR 
BLIGHT. 

Arba  Campbell,  of  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  re- 
ports to  the  Elmira  Farmers'  Club  the 
following  experiment  which  we  take 
from  the  Husbandman : 

"  I  have  a  beautiful  Bartlett  pear  tree 
standing  in  the  front  yard  by  my 
residence  that  is  a  good  bearer,  beautiful 
in  form,  and  affords  a  fine  shade  to  my 
sitting-room  window.  It  is  growing  in 
what  we  consider  a  rich,  deep,  gilluvial 
soil,  on  the  river  bottom,  within  a  few 
rods  of  the  river.  In  the  heat  of  the 
summer  nearly  four  years  ago  when  the 
weather  was  very  dry  I  discovered  that 
this  tree  was  struck  with  what  we  call 
'  pear  blight,'  and  as  1  had  lost  two  fine 
trees  at  the  side  of  the  house  the  year 
before  from  the  blight,  I  thought  all  that 
could  be  done  was  to  put  up  with  the 
loss.  A  week  or  two  later  as  I  stood  in 
the  street  looking  at  the  tree  I  saw  that 
the  top  boughs  were  dead  down  at  least 
four  feet,  and  every  limb  on  the  tree 
seemed  more  or  less  affected,  then  the 
words  of  Scripture  came  to  my  mind : 
*  Dig  about  it  and  dung  it  one  more 
year  before  you  cut  it  down.'     I  went 


234: 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


into  the  house  and  examined  Emil 
Wolff's  tables  of  analysis  to  see  what 
the  mineral  supply  to  the  pear  was 
composed  of,  for  I  thought  the  land  rich 
with  barn  manure,  and  found  it  to  be 
54  per  cent,  of  potash,  9  of  soda,  5  of 
magnesia,  8  of  lime,  15  of  phosphoric 
acid,  and  6  of  sulphuric  acid. 

"  I  called  my  man  and  dug  away  the 
soil  for  six  or  eight  feet  around  the  tree 
and  down  until  the  top  roots  were  all 
uncovered,  and  then  took  100  pounds  of 
German  salts  (containing  15  pounds  of 
pure  potash)  mixed  it  with  four  or  five 
times  its  weight  of  earth  and  spread  it 
over  the  roots.  I  next  took  seventy-five 
pounds  superphosphate  and  mixed  it 
with  earth  and  spread  it  on  top  of  the 
mixture  with  potash  salts.  Then  I  took 
fifty  pounds  of  lime  mixed  with  earth 
and  spread  on  top  of  the  potash  and  phos- 
phate (these  contain  all  the  above  min- 
erals.) We  then  drew  from  the  well 
twenty  or  thirty  pails  of  water  and  gave 
the  whole  a  thorough  wetting,  and  in 
one  week's  time  I  could  see  that  the  tree 
was  reviving  and  the  blight  apparently 
never  extended  an  inch  beyond  what  it 
was  at  the  time  of  making  the  experi- 
ment. The  tree  bore  a  small  crop  of 
good  pears  in  the  centre  of  the  top  that 
summer,  but  at  the  extremities  of  the 
limbs  they  fell  off".  The  next  year  it  bore 
a  large  and  fine  crop  of  pears.  None  fell 
off"  and  no  insects  seemed  to  touch  them. 
The  third  year  was  the  same,  the  crop 
large,  fine,  and  smooth ;  and  this,  the 
fourth  year,  the  crop  promises  to  be  as 
good  as  the  two  previous  years.  Now 
this  proves  to  my  mind  (so  far  as  one  ex- 
periment can  prove  anything,)  that  what 
we  call  'pear  blight'  is  simply  starvation; 
that  the  mineral  supplies  in  the  soil  had 
become  exhausted  and  the  tree  was 
dying  for  want  of  food.  I  fed  it,  and  it 
got  well,  and  returned  me  many  times 
four-fold.  And  it  proves  a  little  more, 
for  what  had  been  a  semi-annual  bearer 
became  an  annual  bearer,  and  I  doubt 


much  if  most  trees,  if  properly  fed,  would 
not  produce  yearly  crops  of  good  fruit." 


PLANTS  BY  MAIL. 

The  following  directions  are  for  the 
guidance  of  those  who  receive  plants  by 
mail :  Unfold  the  packages  carefully, 
and  put  the  moss-bound  roots  into  a  pan 
of  water  quite  warm  to  the  hand,  and  let 
the  roots  drink  to  their  fill  of  it.  It 
will  not  hurt  them  to  soak  an  hour  in 
the  water,  or  until  it  becomes  quite  cold, 
and  if  the  leaves  still  look  a  little  crisp 
turn  off"  the  cold  water  and  add  warm 
water.  Then  take  off"  the  moss  carefully 
and  dip  the  roots  into  fine  sand ;  if  you 
only  have  white  sea  sand  for  scouring 
purposes,  wash  it  through  two  or  three 
waters,  in  a  colander  or  sieve,  and  dry 
it  in  the  oven  partly,  then  roll  the  roots 
in  it  until  they  are  coated  with  it.  Plant 
in  good,  rich  compost,  of  one-third  de- 
composed manure,  and  two-thirds  gar- 
den soil,  good  and  rich,  and  well  mixed 
together.  Take  small  pots  for  small 
plants.  Three-inch  pots  are  large  enough 
for  all  plants  sent  by  mail.  Put  a  small 
bit  of  charcoal  or  broken  pottery  at  the 
bottom,  and  fill  one-third  with  soil. 
Press  in  the  roots  and  fill  up  tightly 
with  the  soil.  Close  planting — i.  e., 
settling  the  earth  closely  around  the 
roots — is  needful  for  success  in  planting 
in  pots,  as  well  as  in  the  open  border. 
Set  the  plants  in  the  shade  for  two  or 
three  days,  or  into  a  well-prepared  hot- 
bed, and  cover  them  with  newspapers. 
Water  freely  with  a  watering-pot — but 
if  kept  in  the  house  do  not  give 
enough  to  sodden  and  decay  them — and 
in  a  week  they  will  have  taken  root  in 
their  new  home  and  begun  to  grow, 
and  when  they  have  entirely  recovered 
from  a  long  journey  they  can  be  trans- 
planted into  the  border.  If  they  have 
only  come  a  short  distance,  however, 
after  a  bath  and  a  roll  in  the  sand  they 
can  be  planted  directly  into  the  border, 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


235 


and  should  then  be  well  watered  and 
shaded  from  the  hot  sun  for  several  days. 
— ATnerncan  Cultivator. 


THE  RADISH  AND  CABBAGE  FLY. 

Every  gardener  has  been  sufficiently 
annoyed  by  the  larvse  of  these  flies,  in 
the  form  of  little  white  maggots,  eat- 
ing his  radishes  or  burrowing  in  the 
stalks  of  his  young  cabbage  plants,  to 
hail  with  delight  any  remedy  that  will 
rid  him  of  these  pests.  Prof.  A.  J. 
Cook,  Michigan  Agricultural  College, 
writes  to  the  American  Agriculturist 
as  follows  : 

"  For  the  past  two  years  I  have  been 
experimenting  with  Bisulphide  of  Car- 
bon to  destroy  subterranean  insects. 
This  substance  has  proved  effectual, 
but  in  case  of  the  insects  in  question, 
especially  the  Radish  Fly,  its  expense 
is  an  objection  to  its  use.  The  past 
season  I  have  tried  a  new  remedy  with 
gratifying  success.  This  consists  of  a 
preparation  of  Carbolic  Acid.  The 
material  which  I  used  was  prepared  as 
follows  :  Two  quarts  of  common  soft 
soap  were  added  to  one  gallon  of  water, 
and  all  heated  until  it  commenced  to 
boil,  when  it  was  removed  from  the 
stove,  and  while  yet  hot  one  pint  of 
crude  Carbolic  Acid  was  added,  and  all 
thoroughly  mixed.  This  was  then  set 
away  in  a  close  vessel,  and  was  ready 
for  use  as  occasion  might  require.  To 
repel  the  insects  in  question,  one  part 
of  this  mixture  was  added  to  from  50 
to  100  parts  of  water,  and  the  new 
mixture  was  sprinkled  on  the  plants  as 
soon  as  they  were  up,  and  after  that 
once  every  week.  This  same  prepara- 
tion will  serve  to  repel  the  Cabbage 
Fly  {AntJiomyia  brassicce).  But  for 
the  latter,  my  experiments  go  to  show 
that  Bisulphide  of  Carbon  is  cheap, 
efficient,  and  does  not  simply  drive  the 
fly  away,  but  destroys  the  maggot.  As 
"  he  that  fights  and  runs  away,  m^y 


live  to  fight  another  day,"  the  Bisul- 
phide of  Carbon  remedy  is,  T  think,  to 
be  preferred  to  the  Carbolic  Acid  mix- 
ture for  use  against  the  cabbage  mag- 
got. We  sprinkled  the  Carbolic  Acid 
preparation  directly  upon  the  radish 
plants,  without  injury  to  the  latter  ; 
but  if  it  is  found  to  injure  the  plants 
from  too  great  strength,  it  will  serve  as 
well  to  turn  it  in  a  trench  made  close 
along  beside  the  rows  of  plants.  The 
peculiar  odor  of  the  acid  which  repels 
the  flies  as  they  come  to  deposit  their 
eggs  so  far  escapes  that  it  is  necessary 
to  apply  the  liquid  as  often  as  once  a 
week  to  insure  perfect  success.  Cau- 
tion is  required  also  that  the  prepara- 
tion be  not  so  strong  as  to  injure  the 
plants  when  placed  immediately  upon 
them.  From  one  season's  trial  I  can 
strongly  recommend  the  above  appli- 
cation." 


WHITE  GRAPES  FOR  THE  MILLION. 

Josiah  Slater,  well  and  favorably 
known  to  pomologists,  has  a  spicy  article 
in  the  Gardener' s  Monthly  on  the  new 
white  grapes,  from  which  we  glean  the 
following  points  regarding  the  Pock- 
lington,  which  is  attracting  general  at- 
tention : 

I  have  been  familiar  with  the  Pock- 
lington  for  five  years.  The  first  two 
years  of  my  acquaintance  with  it  the 
original  vine  was  so  over-cropped  as  to 
retard  its  ripening  and  spoil  its  quality. 
It  has,  however,  improved  in  quality 
every  season  since.  This  la.st  year,  1880, 
the  Pocklington  was  fit  for  market  in 
Monroe  Co.,  N.Y.,  about  September 
6th,  but  it  is  much  better,  with  little  or 
no  pulp  and  with  a  honeyed  sweetness 
by  15th  or  20th  of  September,  and  fully 
ten  days  Oiirlier  than  the  Concord  on  the 
same  grounds.  It  hangs  well  on  the  vines 
till  destroyed  by  frost.  The  Pocklington 
is  a  seedling  of  the  Coucord,  just  as 
strong  and  vigorous  a  grower,  fully  as 


236 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


hardy  to  withstand  the  winter's  cold  and 
summer's  fluctuations  in  temperature,  to 
resist  mild-dew  as  its  parent,  the  Con- 
cord. Last  fall  I  kept  a  bunch  each  of 
Lady  Washington,  Niagara,  and  Pock- 
lington  till  near  the  mid  die  of  December, 
on  a  plate  in  a  close  room.  To  my  sur- 
prise, the  Lady  Washington,  although 
the  thinnest  skin,  was  apparently  the 
best  keeper.  I  have  no  doubt,  with  a 
little  care,  either  of  these  graj^s  may  be 
kept  to  January  1 5th  in  good  condition. 
To  my  taste  the  l^ady  Washington  is 
the  best  as  to  quality.  The  Pocklington 
is  the  next  best,  and  while  we  are  in 
doubt  as  to  whether  we  can  grow  the 
Lady  Washington  successfully,  it  being 
a  hybrid,  I  think  there  is  no  doubt 
whatever  that  the  Pocklington  will 
thrive  and  do  well  over  a  wider  extent 
of  country  than  any  other  good  grape, 
not  excepting  the  Concord ;  for  where 
the  Concord  will  do  well,  I  believe  the 
Pocklington  will  do  better  because  of 
its  earliness. 

While  I  cannot  agree  with  my  friends 
who  think  the  Pocklington  grape  better 
in  quality  than  the  best  hothouse  grapes, 
I  do  think  it  will  prove  the  best  and 
most  valuable  purely  American  Grape 
we  may  have  for  years.  And  on  purely 
American  and  of  the  Labrusca  species, 
I  think  we  shall  have  to  rely  for  our 
crops  of  market  and  wine  grapes  in  most 
localities  of  this  latitude  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

I  consider  the  Pocklington  grape,  the 
white  "  grape  for  the  million."  We 
have  had  scores  of  white  grapes  intro- 
duced, tested,  proved  wanting,  and  dis- 
carded within  the  last  thirty  years  but 
the  Pocklington  has  come  to  stay.  It 
is  of  the  largest  size  both  in  bunch  and 
berry  and  the  most  successful  white 
grape  in  taking  premiums  at  fairs.  It 
is  seen  above  all  others,  it  attracts  more 
attention,  and  recommends  itself — the 
grape  men  cannot  let  it  alone. 


THE  CHERRY  TREE  APHIS. 
This  insect,  a  plant  louse,  infests  the 
under  side  of  the  leaves  and  the  tender 
twigs  of  the  cherry  and  plum.  And  I 
have  this  season  found  it  attacking  the 
green  fruit  of  the  plum.  It  appears 
with  the  earliest  leaves  in  the  spring, 
in  countless  numbers,  causing  them  to 
curl  or  wrinkle  into  fantastic  shapes, 
lose  their  color  and  fall  prematurely. 

It  appears  in  both  the  winged  and 
wingless  forms,  the  earlier  broods  con- 
taining fewer  of  the  winged  forms  than 
the  later.  The  winged  females  mea- 
suring about  one-tenth  of  an  inch  to 
the  tips  of  the  closed  wings ;  color 
black  or  brownish-black ;  abdomen 
broader  than  the  thorax,  having  an 
ovoid  or  egg  shape  which  is  more  mark- 
ed in  the  wingless  female. 

The  wingless  female  measured  about 
five-hundredths  to  six-hundredths  of  an 
inch  in  length  ;  antennae  whitish  with 
the  two  basal  joints  and  the  apical  half 
black ;  legs  whitish  except  the  feet, 
tips  of  tibiae  and  femurs  which  are 
black.  The  abdomen  has  a  prominent 
raised  ridge  along  the  lateral  margins. 
General  color  black  or  brownish-black. 

There  are  several  broods^in  one  sea- 
son (from  five  to  eight)  and  they  are  so 
prolific  that  were  it  not  for  their  natural 
enemies  they  would  soon  over-run  and 
kill  the  whole  tree. 

One  of  its  most  persistent  enemies 
is  the  larva  of  a  two- winged  fly  of  the 
genus  Syr.phus.  The  larva  is  of  a  pale 
greenish  color,  translucent,  spindle 
shaped,  attenuated  anteriorly,  and  about 
one-half  an  inch  in  length.  And  it  is 
a  refreshing  sight  to  the  fruit  grower 
to  see  with  what  avidity  this  sluggish 
looking  worm  sucks  the  juice  from 
these  tiny  pests  and  casts  their  empty 
skins  aside. 

The  larva  of  a  small  beetle  (Cocdnel- 
la)  and  of  a  neuropterous  fly  (Ohrysopa) 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


237 


have  also  been  found  feeding  on  this 
aphis. 

Some  of  the  more  common  remedies 
for  this  pest  are  strong  soap-suds  or  a 
mixture  of  kerosene  and  water  with 
which  the  trees  should  be  given  a  tho- 
rough drenching.  The  latter  mixture, 
however,  if  too  strong  may  slightly  in- 
jure the  foliage,  but  will  do  no  perma- 
nent damage.  Suffocation  with  tobacco 
smoke  has  also  been  highly  recom- 
mended.— Prairie  Farmer. 


SMILAX. 


Smilax  makes  a  beautiful  plant  for 
the  window,  if  a  strong  young  plant  is 
secured  in  the  fall,  placed  in  an  eight  to 
ten  inch  pot,  set  in  such  a  position  that 
a  string  on  which  to  train  it  can  be  run 
up  one  side  of  the  window  and  across  the 
top.     As  soon  as  the  young  shoot  is  long 
enough,  twine  it  around  the  string  to 
give  it  a  start,  as  it  were,  after  which  it 
will  rapidly  grow  and  reach  the  top, 
when  it  will  have  to  be  directed  4n  its 
course  across  the  top  of  the  window.    Be 
sure  to  get  a  young  plant,  as  they  do 
much  better  than  old  ones,  and  when 
growing    vigorously,    give    plenty    of 
water  ;  keep  the  leaves  free  from  dust, 
and  it  will  soon  form  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  window  ornaments  which  can 
be  imagined,     After  it  has  reached  as 
far  as  wanted,  pinch  off  the  end  of  the 
shoot,  which  will  induce  fresh  shoots  to 
start  from  the  different  joints,  and  at  the 
same  time  induce  it  into  tiower  sooner 
than  when  allowed  to  grow  at  random. 
During  the  time  it  is  in  flower  the  room 
is  filled  with  the  sweetest  odor,  after 
which  comes  the  beautiful  fruit,  hanging 
in  clusters  and  remaining  for  weeks  in 
perfection. 

Many  fail  with  smilax  in  windows, 
but  if  they  would  attend  to  getting  a 
one-year  old  plant,  then,  good,  porous 
soil,  and  a  string — not  a  wire,  to  run  on, 


there  is  not  much  danger  but  it  will 
grow  if  attended  with  water  sufficient 
to  keep  the  soil  moist  all  the  time,  but 
not  in  such  quantities  to  produce  satura- 
tion of  the  soil.  — The  Prairie  Farmer. 


THE  CAROLINE  RASPBERRY. 

In  regard  to  the  Caroline  Raspberry, 
I  have  tried  it  so  thoroughly  that  I  do 
not  hesitate  to  recommend  it  as  one  of 
the  best  of  raspberries.  When  the  berry 
begins  to  color  it  is  a  pale  yellow  which 
turns  to  a  pretty  salmon  color  when  ripe. 
Among  berries  of  its  colour  it  is  equalled 
by  none  except  the  Brinckle,  and  it  is 
but  little  inferior  to  that  old  standard 
when  ripe.  It  is  thoroughly  hardy,  a 
very  strong  grower,  and  immensely  pro- 
ductiA^e.  Its  ability  to  bear  long  car- 
riage has  yet  to  be  proved,  but  for  a  near 
market  its  value  is  already  established. 
The  amateur,  at  least,  should  accept  the 
Caroline  as  a  'boon  — "  Horticola  "  in 
Rural  New  Yorker. 

[We  have  not  found  it  to  be  high 
flavored. — Ed.] 

A  NATIVE  AMERICAN  PLUM. 

Golden  Beauty. — Here  we  have  a 
most  remarkable  and  valuable  acquisi- 
tion. It  Is  one  of  Onderdonk's  seedlings, 
and  seems  to  be,  from  leaf  and  bloom,  a 
hybrid,  between  some  large  late  Chick- 
asaw of  Wild  Goose  type  and  some  fine 
variety  of  Prunus  Americana,  as  the  leaf, 
bloom,  method,  and  time  of  fruiting  re- 
mind one  of  the  Weaver  Plum,  but  Chick- 
asiiw  blood  is  visible  j  ust  as  well.  Young 
twigs  are  yellow  when  mature,  green 
before  ;  the  leaves  are  very  large,  of  a 
rich,  light  gi-een,  with  the  glossy  surface 
of  the  Wild  Goose,  and  hang  on  very 
late.  The  growth  is  as  free  and  smooth 
as  the  Peach,  with  twigs  as  large ;  the 
fruitiige  is  astonishingly  great ;  Plums 
are  deep  golden  yellow,  of  size  of  best 
Wild  Groose,  but  orange-shaped,  very 


238 


THE   CANADIAN   HOETICULTURIST. 


solid, rich,  small  seed, nearly  free;  ripens 
with  Heath  Cling  Peach,  blooms  with 
the  Weaver  Plum,  about  a  week  later 
than  Wild  Goose.  Free  from  all  dis- 
eases and  insect  depredations  as  any 
known  variety. — Farm  and  Garden. 


THE  TUBEROSE. 

Because  many  farmers'  wives  cherish 
the  belief  that  some  wonderful  skill  at- 
tends the  cultivation  of  this  planet,  they 
deny  themselves  the  pleasure  of  its 
possession.  The  bulbs  must  be  lifted 
before  there  is  any  danger  from  frost  and 
spread  in  a  warm  sunny  place  to  tho- 
roughly dry.  If  they  become  chilled  in 
any  way,  either  before  being  lifted  or 
during  the  winter,  their  value  is  des- 
troyed. But  if  kept  in  a  warm  closet 
they  will  repay  for  all  the  trouble  by 
their  spikes  of  beautifully  pure  and  fra- 
grant blossoms. 

Tuberoses  are  reproduced  very  rapid- 
ly. Therefore  after  a  start  has  once  been 
made  with  a  collection  of  bulbs  of  one, 
two  and  three  years'  growth,  the  owner 
can  continue  to  set  the  same  and  there 
will  be  no  trouble  in  having  all  that  are 
desired.  », 

There  is  no  difficulty  about  the  plan- 
ting and  cultivation.  They  will  do  well 
on  any  soil  that  will  produce  a  good  crop 
of  corn.  The  soil  should  be  made  mel- 
low, so  as  to  be  easily  worked,  and  the 
bulbs  set  at  such  distance  apart  as  the 
extent  of  surface  will  allow,  and  covered 
with  the  soil.  All  the  cultivation  that 
is  necessary  is  to  keep  the  soil  mellow 
and  free  from  weeds. 

If  desired  for  early  blooming  the 
bulbs  may  be  set  in  boxes  the  latter  part 
of  the  winter  and  kept  watered  and  in  a 
warm  room.  They  will  then  come  to 
flowering  earlier  than  if  not  set  in  the 
ground  until  all  danger  from  frost  is 
-Farm  and  Garden. 


PIONEER  BEET-SUGAR  COMPANY. 
Through  most  worthy  efforts  of  the 
directors,  etc.,  of  the  beet-sugar  com.- 
pany  at  Coaticook,  P.  Q.,  Canada,  the 
Canadian  Government  has  granted  to 
it  a  subsidy  of  $35,000.  This  amount 
added  to  the  money  elsewhere  obtained 
will  permit,  it  is  thought,  the  manufac- 
ture of  beet-sugar  under  more  favoring 
circumstances  than  last  year.  The 
planting  season  has  been  considerably 
retarded,  owing  to  late  frosts,  etc.  In 
the  early  part  of  June  there  remained 
yet  considerable  sowing  to  be  done. 
The  greater  number  of  contracts  for 
beets  have  been  made  on  the  Island  of 
Montreal.  The  seeds  appeared  above 
ground  with  a  satisfactory  regularity ; 
and  the  weather  is  said  to  have  been 
favorable,  as  regards  amount  of  rain, 
heat,  etc. 

The  seeds  sown  were  of  the  Imperial 
and  Electoral  varieties.  The  fertilizer 
used  was  mainly  superphosphate  manu- 
factured from  the  bone  waste,  and  resi- 
dues from  defecation ;  this,  it  is  con- 
sidered, makes  a  most  excellent  plant 
food. 

About  10  tons  of  seed  were  used  to 
the  acre,  distributed  with  an  ordinary 
seed-drill. — The  Sugar  Beet. 


Apple  Jelly. — Pare,  core  and  quarter 
two  dozen  large,  tart,  juicy  apples.  (If  the 
apples  are  red  and  you  desire  the  jelly  to  be 
colored,  leave  the  skins  on,  only  being  care- 
ful to  remove  imperfect  spots. )  Boil  them 
until  thoroughly  soft,  in  enough  water  to 
cover  them,  being  careful  not  to  mix  to  a 
pulp  by  stirring.  Strain  the  juice  by  letting 
it  drip  slowly  through  a  flannel  jelly-bag 
made  into  a  cone.  Do  not  press  it,  or  the 
juice  will  not  be  clear.  To  each  pint  of 
juice  allow  three-fourths  of  a  pound  of 
sugar.  Boil  the  juice  until  "clear,"  add 
the  sugar  and  boil  fifteen  or  twenty  min- 
utes longer.  To  one  pint  of  the  jeUy  add 
the  juice  of  one  lemon — not  the  grated  rind, 
unless  you  wish  your  jelly  to  have  the 
lemon  instead  of  the  apple  flavor. 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


239 


Honey  PuDDma.— Ingredients :  Honey, 
one-half  pound ;  butter,  six  ounces ;  bread 
crumbs,  one-fourth  ounce  ;  eggs,  eight. 
Beat  the  h(mey  and  butter  to  a  cream, 
and  add  the  bread  crumbs  ;  beat  all  toge- 
ther for  ten  minutes  with  the  yolks  of  the 
^gs.  Put  into  mould  and  boil  for  an 
hour  and  a  half.  Serve  with  any  nice 
pudding  sauce. 

Strawberries. — The  Crescent  straw- 
berry proves  to  be  the  earliest  here,  mar- 
velously  productive,  and  meets  with  ready 
sale  at  good  prices  when  sold  at  home 
markets.  It  is  not  firm  enough  for  ship- 
ment. It  will  thrive  on  ordinary  soil 
with  ordinary  culture.  It  is  more  pro- 
fitable for  near  market  than  Wilson. 
Sharpless  is  the  largest  strawberry  of  all ; 
vigorous,  and  of  good  quality  when  at  its 
best.  When  over-ripe  it  loses  character. 
It  ripens  slowly  and  unevenly ;  these  are 
its  defects.  It  is  not  firm  enough  for  ship- 
ment. While  it  does  not  yield  as  many 
quarts  as  Wilson  or  Crescent,  it  will  be 
profitable  to  have  a  portion  of  the  market 
plantation  of  this  variety,  as  it  brings  a 
fancy  price  anywhere.  It  is  well  to  have 
some  firm  berries  like  Wilson  or  Manches- 
ter, as  when  a  hurry  comes  these  can  be 
neglected  a  few  days  without  loss,  while 
the  soft  berries  must  be  gathered  and  sold 
without  delay. — Charles  A.  Green,  m 
Country  Gentleman. 

Arsenic  for  Canker  Worms.  —  We 
gave  an  account  a  few  years  since  of  the 
successful  use  of  Paris  green  by  the  late 
Mr.  Chapin,  in  his  great  apple  orchard  in 
East  Bloomfield,  N.  Y. ,  for  the  destruction 
of  the  canker  worm.  A  wagon  tank,  such 
as  threshers  employ,  was  filled  with  the 
usual  mixture  of  Paris  green  and  water, 
and  from  it  the  infested  trees  were  show- 
ered by  means  of  a  forcing  pump.  We 
observe  by  some  late  journals  that  the 
aame  method  is  employed  by  A.  R.  Whit- 
ney, of  Illinois,  who  has  an  orchard  as 
large  as  Mr.  Chapin's.  A  visitor  stated 
that  he  found  the  foliage  of  the  trees 
clean,  entire  and  healthy,  while  the  apple 
orchards  around  were  desolated  with  the 
canker  worm.  Mr.  Chapin  destroyed  the 
codlin  moth  by  the  grazing  of  sheep,  and 
we  had  occasion  to  observe  the  contrast 
between  the  smooth  fruit  of  this  orchard 
and  the  badly  infested  apples  of  a  neigh- 


bor who  took  no  care. — Gowntry  Gentle- 
man. 

Glucose  Honey. — The  Boston  Journal 
of  Chemistry  makes  these  queer  revela- 
tions about  glucose  honey  and  other  con- 
fections : — "  Millions  of  pounds  of  glucose 
are  made  every  month.  It  is  used  mostly 
as  an  adulterant  in  the  manufacture  of 
table  syrups,  and  in  adulterating  the  dark, 
moist  sugars  used  largely  by  the  poor.  Its 
next  largest  use  is  in  the  manufacture  of 
candies.  All  soft  candies,  waxes,  taiOfies, 
caramels,  chocolates,  etc.,  are  made  of 
glucose.  Children  are,  therefore,  large 
consumers  of  this  substance  ;  the  honey 
bees  also  are  fond  of  it,  and  wiU  carry  it 
away  by  the  ton  if  it  is  placed  within 
their  reach.  The  honey  made  from  it  is 
no  better  than  the  pure  glucose,  as  it  is 
stowed  away  in  the  cells  without  change. 
Human  ingenuity,  it  is  stated,  has  reached 
the  point  of  making  honey  and  storing  it 
in  the  comb  without  the  intervention  of 
the  bee.  By  appropriate  machinery  a 
nice-looking  comb  is  made  out  of  parafline, 
and  after  the  cells  are  filled  with  glucose 
syrup,  this  fictitious  '  honey '  is  warranted 
true  white  clover  honey  from  Vermont. 

Bacteria  and  the  Yellows. — Prof. 
Burrill  says  that  very  recent  examinations 
of  specimens  of  diseased  peach  trees  sent 
him  from  Michigan,  where  tliis  malady 
has  prevailed,  confirm  his  opinion  that 
the  disease  known  as  the  yellows  is  caused 
by  bacteria.  He  finds  the  same  disap- 
pearance of  stored  starch  in  the  peach 
shoots  as  occurs  in  blighted  apple  and 
pear  trees,  and  at  the  same  time  numerous 
bacteria.  These  minute  organisms  in  the 
pear  are  rounded  oblong,  and  commonly 
double-jointed  ;  but  sometimes  they  are 
single,  and  occasionally  several  joints  are 
found.  Those  found  in  the  diseased  peach 
are  long  and  slender,  and  consist  of 
several  joints.  Both  may,  however,  be 
mere  modifications  of  the  same  organisms. 
The  pear  bacteria  are  about  one-thirty- 
thonsandth  of  an  inch  cross  diameter, 
and  one-half  more  in  length.  Those  in 
the  peach  are  about  twice  as  long.  To 
examine  their  shape,  a  microscope  magni- 
fying the  diameter  one  thousand  times  is 
requisite,  and  so  small  are  they  that  a 
thousand  millions  would  be  required  to 
fonn  a  solid  mass  as  large  as  a  pin's 
head. 


240 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


SAVING  MOTHER. 

The  farmer  sat  in  his  easy  chair. 

Between  the  fire  and  the  lamp-light's  glare ;      i 

His  face  was  ruddy  and  full  and  fair, 

His  three  small  boys  in  the  chimney  nook 

Gonned  the  lines  of  a  pictftre  book  ; 

His  wife  the  pride  of  his  hoine  and  heart, 

Baked  the  biscuits  and  made  the  tart ; 

Laid  the  table  and  steeped  the  tea. 

Deftly,  swiftly,  silently. 

Tired  and  weary,  and  worn  and  faint, 

She  bore  her  trials  without  complaint, 

Like  many  another  houseliold  saint — 

Content,  all  selfish  bliss  above 

In  the  patient  ministry  of  love. 

At  last,  betweeu  the  clouds  of  smoke 

That  wreathed  his  lips  the  husband  spoke. 

*'  There's  taxes  to  raise,  an'  interest  to  pay, 

And  ef  there  should  come  a  rainy  day, 

'Twould  be  mighty  handy,  I'm  bound  to  say 

T'have  sumthin'  put  by,    For  folks  must  die, 

An'  there's  funeral  bills,  an'  gravestuns  to  buy — 

Enough  to  swamp  a  man,  purty  nigh  ; 

Besides,  there's  Edward  and  Dick  and  Joe 

To  be  provided-for  when  we  go. 

So  'f  I  was  you,  I'll  tell  you  what  I'd  do, 

I'd  be  saving  of  wood  as  ever  I  could— 

Extra  fire  don't  do  any  good — 

I'd  be  savin'  of  soap,  an'  savin'  of  ile. 

And  run  up  some  candles  once  in  a  while ; 

I'd  be  rather  sparin'  of  coffee  an'  tea, 

For  sugar  is  high, 

And  all  to  buy, 
And  cider  is  good  enough  for  me. 
I'd  be  kind  o'  careful  about  my  clo'es, 
And  look  out  sharp  how  the  money  goes- 
Gewgaws  is  careless  ;  natur'  knows  ; 

Extra  trimmin' 

'8  the  bane  of  women. 
"  I'd  sell  the  best  of  the  cheese  and  honey. 
And  eggs  is  as  good,  nigh  about's  the  money  ; 
And  as  to  the  carpet  you  wanted  new— 
I  guess  we  can  make  the  old  one  do  ; 
And  as  for  the  washer  and  sewing  machine 
Them  smooth-tongued  agents  so  pesky  mean, 
You'd  better  get  rid  of  'em  slick  and  clean. 
What  do  they  know  about  woman's  work? 
Do  they  calkilate  women  were  made  to  shirk  ?" 
Dick  and  Edward  and  little  Joe 
Sat  in  a  corner  in  a  row. 
They  saw  the  patient  mother  go 
On  ceaseless  errands  to  and  fro ; 
They  saw  that  her  form  was  bent  and  thin, 
Her  temples  gray,  her  cheeks  sunk  in, 
They  saw  the  quiver  of  her  lip  and  chin— 
And  then  with  a  warmth  he  could  not  smother, 
Outspoke  the  youngest,  frailest  brother : 
"  You  talk  of  savin'  wood  and  ile, 
An'  tea  and  sugar  all  the  while, 
But  you  never  talk  of  savin'  mother  ?" 


Delicate  Apple  Sauce — Pare,  halve  and 
c^uarter  a  sufl&cient  quantity  of  nice  stewing 
apples  ;  put  them  into  a  baking  dish,  and 
cover  thickly  with  sugar — bits  of  lemon  peel 
may  be  added  if  liked.  Put  a  plate  over 
the  dish,  and  set  it  into  a  pan  having  a  little 
hot  water  in  the  bottom,  and  place  in  a  hot 
oven.  Bake  until  the  pieces  are  clear  and 
tender. 


Coal  Ashes. — Common  coal  ashes,  if 
well  distributed  about  the  roots  of  cur- 
rant bushes,  is  one  of  their  best  pro- 
moters. This  should  be  done  by  loosen- 
ing the  soil  about  their  roots,  and  placing 
the  ashes  near  them  ;  cover  firmly  with 
earth  above,  and  the  bushes  will  bear 
such  clusters  as  will  speak  the  beneficial 
effects  of  this  application  of  material  too 
commonly  thrown  aside  as  of  no  use. 
Cherry  trees  also  gratefully  accept  this 
renovator,  and  if  carefully  bedded  about 
the  roots  with  coal  ashes  in  the  fall,  the 
yield  of  fruit  the  following  year  will  sur- 
prise the  cultivator.  Especially  is  this 
effect  produced  in  the  black  loam  of  Illi- 
nois. We  have  in  our  mind  one  fruit 
garden  there  where  all  the  small  fruit 
was  treated  in  this  way,  and  have  never 
seen  their  yield  excelled.  —  Natiorud 
Farmer. 

The  Fruit  Garden. — There  should  be 
a  Fruit  Garden  on  every  farm  for  the  profit, 
health,  and  enjoyment  that  it  brings,  where 
well  cared  for — yielding  a  succession  of 
fruits  from  early  strawberry  time  until  the 
latest  grapes  are  gone.  It  is  our  desire 
that  all  who  liave  no  garden  for  small  fruits 
may  resolve  to  prepare  the  ground  and 
plant  one  the  coming  spring  The  soil  for 
a  Fruit  Garden  should  be  rich,  deep,  and 
mellow,  and  above  all  thoroughly  drained 
should  it  be  naturally  wet.  There  is 
nothing  better  than  well  rotted  stable 
manure  for  enriching  a  garden  soil.  The 
list  of  Strawberries  that  may  be  planted  is 
a  long  one  and  has  been  added  to  from  year 
to  year.  Charles  Downing,  Seth  Boyden, 
Monarch  of  the  West,  and  Sharpless  are 
all  reliable.  The  Bidwell  has  proved  ex- 
cellent, and  the  Manchester  is  a  promising 
new  sort.  On  heavy  soils  the  Jucunda 
and  Triomphe  de  Gand  do  well.  Among 
Raspberries  are  the  Cuthbert,  Patrician, 
and  Herstine.  The  Mammoth  Cluster 
and  Gregg  are  among  the  best  Black-caps 
for  general  use.  For  Blackberries  the 
Kittatinny  and  Snyder  are  the  best.  The 
Versailles,  Red  Dutch,  and  White  Grape 
lead  in  the  Currants.  It  is  difficult  to 
select  from  the  long  list  of  excellent  grapes, 
Concord,  Wilder,  Brighton,  Eumelan,  De- 
laware, and  Pocklington  give  a  good 
variety. — American  Agriculturist. 


PRIKTJfiD  AT  THE  STEAM  PRESS  ESTABLiSBHEMT  Of  COPP,  CLARK  k  CO.,  COLBORME  STREET,  TORONTO, 


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VOL.  v.] 


NOVEMBER,  1882. 


[No.   11. 


AST 

These  are  late  summer  blooming  an- 
nuals, without  which  the  flower  gar- 
den in  September  seems  bare  of  bloom. 
The  coloured  illustration  in  this  num- 
ber will  give  our  readers  a  good  repre- 
sentation of  the  general  form  and 
colouring.  There  is  a  great  variety  of 
these  beautiful  flowers,  diflfering  in 
size  of  plant  and  form  of  flower,  but 
each  having  a  beauty  peculiar  to  it- 
self. Some  of  them  grow  quite  tall, 
upwards  of  two  feet  in  height ;  others 
are  very  dwarf,  scarcely  attaining  to 
more  than  six  inches.  The  variety 
known  as  new  rose  is  a  great  favourite, 
and  may  be  had  in  fifteen  separate 
colours.  The  new  Crown  or  Cocar- 
deau  Asters  have  all  a  white  centre 
surrounded  with  a  broad  border  of 
carmine,  or  blue,  or  scarlet,  or  violet, 
(fee,  and  are  very  attractive.  One  of 
this  class  will  be  found  in  the  coloured 


ERS. 

plate.  The  New  Victoria  variety  hjis 
a  fine  {>yramidal  habit  with  large 
flowers.  The  largest  flowered  is  the 
Washington  Aster,  sometimes  attain- 
ing to  five  inches  in  diameter.  The 
dwarf  Chysanthemum-flowered  grows 
to  about  one  foot  in  height,  and 
flowers  later  than  most  of  the  others. 

Astei-s  require  a  rich  soil,  worked  to 
a  good  depth,  in  order  to  their  full 
development.  The  seed  may  be  sown 
in  a  cold  frame  or  in  a  seed  bed  in  the 
garden.  After  the  plants  have  become 
strong  they  should  be  transplanted  in. 
damp  or  cloudy  weather  into  beds  pre- 
pared for  them.  The  plants  may  be 
set  about  a  foot  apart  each  way  in  the 
beds,  except  the  dwarf  growing  sorts, 
which  may  be  planted  about  four  inches 
apart.  The  dwarf  varieties  make  a 
very  pretty  border  planted  in  single 
rows  along  the  edge  of  the  garden  walk. 


THE  CANADIAN  HORTICULTURIST  FOR  1883. 


The  next  number  will  close  the  cur- 
rent volume,  and  the  term  of  subscrip- 
tion of  most  of  our  readers  will  expire 
at  the  same  time  ;  of  all,  indeed,  save  a 
few  names  which  have  already  sent  their 
dollar  for  1883.  Many  encouraging 
letters  have  be«n  received  during  the 


year  expressive  of  kindly  appreciation 
of  the  efforts  made  to  improve  this 
monthly,  and  many  have  given  practical 
expression  to  their  appreciation  by 
shewing  the  magazine  to  their  friends 
and  inducing  them  to  subscribe.  To 
all   who  have  in  any  way  encouraged 


242 


THK   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


the  efforts  of  the  Directors  to  maintain 
a  monthly  periodical  devoted  to  the 
dissemination  in  Canada  of  information 
concerning  horticultural  matters,  most 
sincere  and  hearty  thanks  are  hereby 
given.  It  is  believed  by  them  that 
such  a  monthly  periodical  is  essential 
to  the  horticultural  progress  and  pros- 
perity of  the  country,  and  that  any 
effort  made  to  extend  its  circulation 
deserves  the  thanks  of  everyone  who 
desires  to  see  this  country  take  the  po- 
sition it  is  capable  of  maintaining  in  all 
fruit-o^rowinff  and  horticultural  matters. 
It  is  the  intention  of  the  Directors 
to  cojitinue  the  Canadian  Horticulturist 
during  the  year  1883,  and  to  make  it 
as  attractive  and  interesting  as  it  has 
beer;  during  the  past  year,  and  as  much 
more  so  as  the  means  at  their  disposal 
will  permit.  If  the  circulation  could 
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tional means  deriye4  therefrom  would 
be  expended  ii^  still  further  enlarging 
and  embellishing  the  magazine.  Will 
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plish this  desirable  object  by  sending 
one  new  subscriber  with  their  own 
renewal  before  the  close  of  this  year, 
so  that  the  Directors  may  feel  enabled 
to  begin  the  year  witii  an  additional 
number  of  pages  of  reading  matter,  and 
make  arrangements  for  increased  illus- 
tration. If  each  subscriber  would  pro- 
cure but  one  new  name  the  circulation 
would  then  be  about  four  thousand, 
and  such  improvements  could  then  be 
made  as  the  Directors  have  not  yet 
been  able  to  secure  for  want  of  means. 
Every  subscriber  becomes  entitled 
to  receive  not  only  the  Canadian  Hor- 


ticulturist every  month,  but  also  a  copy 
of  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Association  for  1882,  and 
bound  with  it,  the  Annual  Report  of 
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scriber will  have  sent  to  him  by  mail, 
post-paid,  whichever  of  the  following 
articles  he  may  prefer,  namely  : 

A  Rose  Busb,  or 

A  Peonia,  or 

A  Vine  of  the  Worden  G-rape,  or 

A  Plant  of  the  Niagara  Raspberry. 

In  order  that  a  sufficient  number  of 
these  reports  and  plants  may  be  secured 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  subscribers, 
it  is  essential  that  subscriptions  should 
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at  a  late  day  may  have  failed  to  receive 
a  bound  copy.  And  the  same  was  true 
of  some  of  the  plants  distributed  last 
spring.  That  all  disappointment  from 
these  causes  may  be  avoided,  the  Direc- 
tors wish  it  to  be  clearly  understood  that 
subscribers  whose  names  are  received 
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Those  who  may  desire  to  make  an 
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THE   CANADIAN   H0RTICULTUUI8T. 


243 


Horticulturist  will  be  furnished  with  a 
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cation to  the  Editor  at  St.  Catharines, 
or  to  any  of  the  Directors,  whose  names 
and  address  will  be  found  on  the  third 
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tion for  their  labor  they  will  be  allowed 
rt  commission  of  twenty  per  cent,  on  all 
new  subscribers,  and  ten  per  cent,  on 
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whose  names  and  subscriptions  are  sent 
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The  subscription  price  is  only  one 
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formed upon  any  of  the  subjects  dis- 
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or  treated  of  in  the  Reports,  to  obtain 
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The  information  given  is  drawn  largely 
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through  your  efforts  in  this  behalf  that 
the  subscription  list  of  this  magazine 


will   be   at   least   doubled    before    the 
advent  of  the  new  year. 


FRUIT  AT  THE  PROVINCIAL  EXHI- 
BITION. 

Notwithstanding  the  almost  entire 
failure  of  the  leading  fruits  in  many 
parts  of  the  province,  the  show  of  fruit 
at  Kingston  was  not  only  large  but  of 
excellent  quality.  The  display  of  ap- 
ples and  pears  was  hardly  as  large  as 
it  was  last  year,  but  the  samjjles  shown 
were  generally  very  fine.  In  plumvS 
there  was  a  marked  increase,  some 
very  fine  collections  having  been 
shown  from  sections  that  hei-etofore 
have  not  made  much  of  an  exhibit  of 
this  fruit.  The  Owen  Sound  collec- 
tion carried  off  the  first  prize,  notwith- 
standing that  the  crop  was  reported  to 
have  been  a  failure  this  season. 

The  progress  made  in  the  cultivatioa. 
of  grapes  is  very  marked.  The  extent, 
of  the  exhibit  of  this  fruit,  as  well  as* 
the  beauty  and  perfection  of  the  sam- 
ples shown,  is  very  creditable  to  our 
grape  growers.  Each  year  brings  out. 
a  greater  variety,  and  more  perfect 
specimens.  It  is  a  wonder  that  every 
farmer  does  not  devote  some  space  to  a. 
choice  collection  of  grape  vines.  In 
two  years  from  planting  he  will  begin 
to  gather  grapes,  and  can  have  a  con- 
tinuous supply  of  this  most  delicious, 
fruit  all  through  the  autumn.  We 
now  have  varieties  ripening  in  this, 
climate  in  August,  followed  by  others, 
that  keep  wp  a  succession  until  winter, 
and  in  fact,  some  of  them  can  be  kept, 
until  after  the  holidays,  such  as.tha* 
Salem,  Vergennes,  and  lona. 


2M 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


Thei-e  is  one  bad  practice  that  seems 
to  be  adopted  by  some  exhibitoi-s, 
namely,  that  of  ringing  the  bearing 
branches  in  order  to  increase  the  size  of 
the  berries.  As  this  practice  greatly 
im])airs  the  flavour  of  the  fruit,  pro- 
ducing watery;  dropsical  berries,  it 
should  not  be  encouraged,  and  exhi. 
bitors  should  be  restricted  to  naturally 
grown  fruit.  Skilled  judges  will  at 
once  detect  these  abnormal  fruits,  and 
societies  should  instruct  them  to  dis- 
card all  such  in  making  their  awards. 

There  was  also  a  very  creditable  dis- 
play of  peaches.  The  crop  was  almost 
cut  off  by  the  cold  easterly  storm  that 
visited  us  when  the  trees  were  in 
blossom.  The  early  Crawford  seems 
to  have  escaped,  somehow,  in  many 
places,  and  those  who  have  been  thus 
favoured  will  reap  golden  harvests. 
We  now  have  varieties  ripening  in 
July,  followed  by  other  sorts  which 
keep  up  a  supply  until  almost  winter. 

It  is  gratifying  to  note  how  from 
year  to  year  fruit  culture  is  developing 
:and  extending  over  the  province,  as 
appears  from  the  exhibits  which  are 
made  at  our  autumnal  shows.  We 
believe,  however,  that  far  greater 
things  are  yet  in  store,  and  that  Onta- 
rio will  be  the  great  fruit  growing 
country  of  this  continent. 

The  Sharplbss  Strawberry  did  as 
well  as  ever,  being  the  largest  of  all  as 
usual,  and  more  productive.  It  is  not 
particularly  heavy  soil  this  variety  requires 
to  do  well,  but  exceedingly  high  culture. 
The  soil  must  be  rich,  and  well  manured 
also  ;  to  have  it  do  its  best  a  good  sandy 
loam  is  apparently  the  soil  best  suited  to 
its  wants. — Farm  and  Garden. 


JOTTINGS  BY  THE  WAY  IX  THE 
EASTERN  DISTRICT. 

In  a  somewhat  busy  season,  (and  tell 
me  the  time  to  the  tiller  of  the  soil  that 
is'nt  busy),  I  stole  a  day  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Fruit  Growers'  Association, 
and  submit  the  following,  which  may 
interest  some  : — 

Ajjp^es. —  They  sliould  be  last  on  our 
list.  Our  report  of  them  must  be  un- 
satisfactory. In  quantity  they  are  a  fair 
crop,  but  in  most  cases  diseased,  the 
Fameuse  so  much  so  as  to  be  almost 
unsaleable.  We  try  to  pare  as  many 
as  we  can,  and  so  used,  they  are  as 
good  as  the  best,  but  the  process  is  a 
slow  one. 

Heartily  we  will  thank  the  man  who 
will  give  us  the  cause  of  this  black 
spot  or  fungus,  and  more  him  who  will 
give  us  a  cure. 

In  the  Horticulturist,  March,  1882, 
is  a  paper  from  J.  B.  Merrill,  from 
which  we  had^  W&pek  that  sulphur  ap- 
plied as  theii©i^iggested  would  effect  a 
cure.  ,_iWp  tried  the  experiment  on 
100.  trees,  and  found  it  a  failure.  It 
has  been  suggested  to  me  by  one  well 
versed  in  these  matters,  that  I  drove 
the  plug  so  far  into  the  tree  as  to  pre- 
vent the  sulphur  fumes  passing  up  with 
the  sap  ^  that  may  be,  we  will  repeat 
tj^,  experiment,  using  grafting  wax  to 
cover  the  orifice. 

Potatoes. — The  Early  Rose  is  still 
the  favorite,  and  buyers  ask  for  it  in 
preference  to  all  other  kinds,  simply 
because  they  know  it  to  be  a  first-class 
table  potato.  So  it  is,  but  the  Beauty 
of  Hebron  is  earlier  and  of  better 
flavor. 

The  Dempsey  is  in  every  respect 
good,  prolific,  and  good  to  use  the  year 
round.  The  Peerless  I  have  found 
among  the  best  for  spring  use.  With 
fair  play  it  yields  abundantly.  Al- 
though of  very  large  size,  I  have  always 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


245 


found  them  sound  to  the  heart.  Many 
of  my  neighbors  last  year  pronounced 
it  to  be  the  best  potato  they  ever  ate. 

White  Elephant — I  planted  a  peck, 
the  return  was  4  bushels.  As  to  their 
quality  I  can't  speak.  Late  Rose  and 
Snowflake  are  both  good.  I  can  tell 
you,  however,  a  big  story  about  the 
White  Star.  I  had  one  potato,  cut  it 
into  9  eyes,  planted  in  ordinary  ground, 
and  had  from  it  38  lbs.  Satis  bene  I 
say.  I  boiled  one  and  found  the  qual- 
ity good. 

I'll  weary  you  and  your  readers,  in- 
dulge me  with  a  closing  word  on  grapes. 
I  intended  visiting  the  Beaconsfield 
vineyard,  but  the  day's  time  did'nt 
permit.  We  know  their  grapes  to  be 
early,  quite  a  consideration  in  these 
parts  ;  as  to  quality,  the  less  said  the 
better. 

The  only  man  who  has  been  brave 
enough  to  go  into  the  business  in  our 
section  is  Mr.  William  Rice,  of  Mill- 
roche.  Among  many  discouragements 
— his  neiglibors  kindly  hinting  he  was 
spending  the  time  of  many  men  for 
nought,  his  own  besides — he  has  made 
a  very  successful  start.  Tell  me,  read- 
ers, what  is  worth  having  without 
labor  and  discouragements  many.  Mr. 
R.  has  about  three  acres  planted  with 
Concord,  Moore's  Early,  Brighton,  and 
Champion  grapes.  They  were  planted 
three  years  ago,  trained  on  trellis  six 
feet  apart,  seven  feet  between  rows. 
He  finds  Brighton  and  Moore's  Early 
the  most  profitable.  I  recommend  to 
him  another  acre  of  Beadle's  Jessica. 

Good  luck  to  our  enterprising  neigh- 
bor. He  seems  to  go  on  the  principle, 
that  whatever  is  worth  doing  is  worth 
doing  well.     That  he  has  done. 

If  readers  have  had  patience  to  read 
80  far,  we'll  forgive  them  till  next  timd. 


John  Cuoil. 


Aultsville.  Oct.,  1882. 


REPORT  ON  PLANTS  RECEIVED  FROM 
THE  FRUIT  GROWERS'  ASSOCIA- 
TION. 

Dear  Sir, — I  send  you  report  on 
plants  received  from  the  Association 
up  to  date. 

Burnet  Grape. — Is  growing  slowly 
and  steadily.  Has  sixteen  bunches  of 
grapes  on  it  this  year,  which  should  be 
ripe  next  week. 

Moore  s  Early  Grape.  —  Growing 
well,  strong  and  he^ilthy  looking.  Has 
every  appearance  of  succeeding  in  this 
locality. 

Saunders'  Hybrid  Raspberry. — I  re- 
moved the  plant  to  a  sandy  soil  and 
manured  it  well,  which  has  caused  it 
to  grow  rapidly  and  bear  some  fruit. 
It  promises  well  for  next  year.  Plant- 
ed it  along  with  100  Lost  Rubies,  a 
fine  variety,  bore  fruit  on  old  stocks 
same  year  as  planted. 

Hydrangea  Paniculata. — Does  not 
grow  well.  It  is  about  the  same  size 
as  the  first  year,  and  will  have  flowers 
soon.  I  planted  it  in  a  small  keg  with 
rich  earth,  but  it  grows  no  better  than 
at  first.     It  is  not  a  success  with  me. 

I  mentioned  last  year  that  the  Onta- 
rio Apple  died.  It  is  far  too  tender  a 
kind  for  this  locality,  something  like 
King  of  Tompkins,  which  was  also 
winter  killed. 

I  expected  to  have  seen  some  reports 
of  the  Wealthy  Apple  you  distributed 
and  how  it  stood  the  winter,  but  have 
seen  none  in  the  Canada  HorticuHiirist 
as  yet.  I  planted  a  one  year  old  last 
fall,  and  it  was  winter  killed,  but  fall 
planting  is  not  suitable  here,  so  I  do 
not  consider  this  a  criterion.  I  have 
planted  this  spring  150  one  to  three 
year  old  Wealthys,  and  expect  most  of 
them  to  come  through  the  winter.  I 
have  not  lost  any  trees  from  the  tap 
root  entering  the  clav  .soil,  as  the  habi- 
tans   hereabouts   said   I    would  ;    ani 


246 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


have   about  200  Fameuse  bearing  for 
the    first    time.       I    have    altogether 
1,000  apple  trees  in  good  condition. 
Yours  truly, 

J.  H.  Gumming. 
F.  S. — T  would  suggest  your  distri- 
buting the  Arctic  plum  next  season. 
St.  Hilaire,  P.  Q.,  Sept.  12,  1882. 

THE  GREEN  CABBAGE  WORM. 
Deak  Sir, — For  some  yeai^  past  the 
gi'owing  of  cauliflower  and  cabbage  has 
been  rendered  very  difficult  and  un- 
satisfactory, owing  to  the  large  green 
grub  that  feeds  on  the  leaves.  About 
a  month  ago  my  cauliflowers  were 
rapidly  being  destroyed,  when  I  made 
some  strong  brine,  using  common  salt, 
and  watered  the  plants  lightly,  suffi- 
ciently to  wet  the  leaves,  but  not  to 
soak  into  the  ground  and  scorch  the 
roots.  The  next  day  I  found  every 
grub  dead,  and  have  not  seen  a  living 
one  since.  Hoping  that  this  informa- 
tion may  be  of  much  value  to  cabbage 
growei-s,  I  have  thought  it  worth  plac- 
ing in  the  hands  of  the  public. 

Frank  Evans. 
Orillia,  Oct.  3,  1882. 

LETTER  FROM  HON.  M.  P.  WILDER. 
My  Dear  Sir, — I  have  just  receiv- 
ed the  report  of  the  Ontario  Fruit 
Growers  Association  for  1881.  I  am 
happy  to  state  that  no  better  appix)- 
priation  of  the  Government's  funds 
could  be  made  than  to  encourage  the 
development  of  the  fruit  resources  of 
the  Dominion,  whose  extent  of  terri- 
tory is  equal  to  our  own,  and  much  of 
which  is  yet  to  be  filled  with  an  en- 
lightened and  industrious  population. 
I  like  the  whole  book,  embracing  as  it 
does  the  "  entomological,"  so  closely 
connected  as  it  is  with  the  successful 
cultivation  of  fruits.  It  is  a  gi*and 
volume,  honourable  to  your  society  and 
to  the  Government. 

Yours  as  ever, 

Marshall  P.  Wilder. 


THE  CABBAGE  MAGGOT. 

Dear  Sir, — On  page  235  of  the 
current  number  of  the  Horticulturist  I 
see  a  communication  from  Prof  Cook, 
of  the  Michigan  Agricultural  College, 
to  the  AmeHcan  Agriadturist  on  the 
destruction  of  the  Cabl)age  and  Radish 
Maggot. 

I  would  like  to  know  (and  no  doubt 
many  others  would  ba  equally  obliged 
if  you  can  inform  the  readers  of  the 
Horticulturist)  how  the  bisulphide  of 
carbon  is  prei)ared  and  how  applied  to 
the  young  plants ;  as  the  Professor, 
while  giving  the  formula  for  the  car- 
bolic acid  preparation,  does  not  give 
the  formula  for  the  bisulphide  of  car- 
bon, although  he  appears  to  consider  it 
the  most  efficient  for  the  cabbage  fly, 
as  it  "  destroys  the  maggot."  If  it 
does  this  it  is  undoubtedly  the  best 
}>reparation. 

I  may  add  that  during  last  spring  I 
tried  the  carbolic  acid,  preparing  it  and 
sjjrinkling  the  plants  according  to 
Prof.  Cook's  directions,  with  the  single 
exception  that  I  applied  it  twice  a 
week  instead  of  once  ;  but  found  that, 
although  it  did  not  injure  the  young 
plants  in  the  least,  it  utterly  failed  to 
keep  the  flies  from  depositing  their 
eggs,  or  to  destroy  the  maggots  ;  conse- 
quently my  i-adishes  were  totjilly 
ruined  ;  and  my  cabbages  only  partial- 
ly saved  by  my  gardener  going  over 
the  patch  ewery  three  or  four  days  and 
carefully  removing  the  soil  where  the 
eggs  had  been  depositetl  from  around 
the  young  plants,  and  putting  fresh 
soil  in  the  place ;  a  slow  remedy,  and 
as  the  fly  season  this  year  was  a  very 
long  one,  an  expensive  one ;  and,  worst 
of  all,  not  by  any  means  a  certain  one, 
for  it  is  almost  impossible  not  to  miss 
some  of  the  wee  w  hite  specks,  which 
are  consequently  left  at  the  stalk  of 
the  cabbage  and  destroy  it. 

I  would  therefore    like  to   try  the 


TUB   CANADIAN    H0RTICULTCKI6T. 


247 


bisulphide  of  carbon  remedy,  and, 
with  the  rest  of  tlie  cabbage  firrowing 
world,  would  hail  it  with  rejoicing,  if 
successful  in  destroying  the  pests  with- 
out injuring  the  plants. 

Thos.  G.  Bright. 
Meaford,  Oct.  4,  1882. 

REPLY   BY   W.    SAUNDERS. 

Bisulphide  of  carbon  is  made  by 
passing  the  va]X)r  of  sulphur  over  red 
hot  charcoal  in  suitable  vessels,  and 
consists  of  one  part  of  carbon  united 
to  two  parts  of  sulphur.  It  is  a 
colourless  liquid,  with  a  very  offensive 
odor  and  very  volatile  character.  It 
is  inflammable,  and  its  vapor  mixed 
with  atmospheric  air  explodes  with 
violence  if  lighted.  It  is  a  powerful 
solvent,  and  one  of  the  chief  uses  it 
serves  in  the  arts  is  as  a  solvent  for 
India  rubber  and  gutta  percha.  It  is 
usually  kept  in  drug  stores.  When 
poured  into  a  hole  in  the  soil,  and  the 
orifice  closed,  the  vapour  gradually 
permeates  through  the  spongy  earth 
and  destroys  insect  life.  It  is,  I  fear, 
too  expensive  to  be  used  as  a  general 
remedy  for  insects,  and  its  inflam- 
mability, and  the  liability  of  its  vapor 
to  explode  when  mixed  with  air  would 
deter  many  from  using  it. 
London,  Oct.  10. 


THE  ENGLISH  SPARROW. 

Mr.  Editor, — I  would  respectfully 
suggest  that  you  have  for  discussion  at 
the  next  winter  meeting  the  following 
subject :  "  Is  the  English  sparrow  a 
friend  or  enemy  of  the  fruit  grower]  " 

I  would  suggest  that  you  announce 
the  subject  early  and  ask  for  papers  on 
the  subject  from  all  who  are  in  a  posi- 
tion to  give  light  on  the  subject,  to  be 
sent  to  the  Secretary  in  time  for  the 
winter  meeting. 

My  own  opinion  is  that  this  question 
is  an  importiint  one  or  will  soon  become 
so  as  these  little  Britons  increase,  and 


I  think  discussion  would  bring  out  a 
good  many  points  for  and  against  the 
sparrow.  Yours  truly, 

Wm.  E.  Wellington. 

Toronto,  Aug.  7,  1882. 

EXF»LORATIONS  IN  RUSSIA. 

Mr.  Editor, — It  will  perhaps  inter- 
est some  of  your  readers  to  know  that 
there  are  at  present  in  Europe  two 
enterprising  and  enthusiastic  lovers  of 
fruit  from  America  who  are  exploring 
the  northern  portions  of  Europe  and 
particularly  of  Russia,  for  the  purpose 
of  ascertaining  what  varieties  of  fruit 
are  successfully  cultivated  in  these  ex- 
tremely cold  climates,  hoping  by  this 
means  to  find  new  sorts  which  will  be 
hardy  enough  to  withstand  the  rigours 
of  the  colder  portions  of  the  Northern 
and  North- Western  United  States  and 
Canada,  and  thus  lay  under  further 
tribute  the  countries  which  have  given 
to  us  the  well-known  apples.  Red 
Astrachan,  Duchess  of  Oldenburgh, 
Alexander,  and  Tetofsky.  The  ex- 
ploring party  consists  of  Prof.  Budd, 
of  the  State  Agricultural  College  in 
Iowa,  and  Mr.  Chas.  Gibb,  of  Mont- 
real. The  following  post  cards  have 
been  received  from  Mr.  Gibb  : — 

"Vienna,  July  22,  1882.— Work  inter- 
eating,  though  we  have  not  yet  reached  the 
severer  climates.  Many  new  apples  in  Eng- 
land and  (iermany  are  in  leaf  semi-Astra- 
chanic,  and  some  Russian  full  bloods.  Pears 
in  Jardin  des  Plantes  crossed  in  many  Ciwes 
with  northern  or  southern  Chinese  forms, 
cider  and  cooking  pears  of  Keutlingen,  &C. 
We  saw  a  few  thick  leaved  v.  vinifera,  two 
of  them  as  thick  as  Lindley  and  one  as 
thick  as  Concord,  from  Jura," 

"On  THK  Volga,  Aug.  30,  1882.— Here 
we  are  in  a  little  boat  going  down  the  Volga 
from  Kasan  visiting  the  orchanls  with  a 
kind  Russian  friend.  'I  ho  apples  now  in 
the  market  are  ahead  of  our  August  apples, 
a  tine  assortment  in  size  an<l  colour,  and 
some  of  them  fine  in  quality.  The  Vladimer 
Cherry  is  grown  in  enormous  quantities  in 
that  cold  climate.  Entire  trains  latlen  with 
these  clKrries  leave  here  for  different  parts 


24S 


THE    CANADIAN   HORIICULTURIST. 


of  Russia.  A  new  dwarf  race  of  hardy 
plums  here  of  fair  quality.  Nomenclature 
very  confused  here.  At  Petersburg  we  find 
trees  and  shrubs  of  country  east  to  the 
Amoor  valuable  for  our  climate,  especially 
the  thick-leaved  poplars.  There  are  pears 
of  medium  quality  here  hardy  enough  to 
grow  as  far  north  as  the  city  of  Quebec, 
that  is  one  sort  at  least.  We  have  had 
some  curious  little  fruit  meetings  among  the 
Tartar  dealers.'' 

I  sincerely  hope  that  the  explora- 
tions of  these  enterprising  horticultur- 
ists will  result  in  the  introduction  to 
this  country  of  some  new  and  good 
varieties  of  hardy  fruits,  especially 
adapted  to  the  more  northern  sections 
of  our  province,  and  capable  as  well  of 
being  cultivated  over  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  Northern  and  North- West- 
ern parts  of  the  Dominion. 

Wm.  Saunders. 
London,  Oct.  6,  1882. 


THE  OTHEJR  SIDE. 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  just.read  in  your 
valuable  paper  a  letter  from  an  Ottawa 
gentleman  praising  very  highly  his 
success  with  the  Burnet  Grape.  I  was 
I^articularly  pleased  to  hear  that  the 
Burnet  would  really  bear  fruit  outside 
of  Mr.  Dempsey's  grounds,  where  it 
originated.  About  six  years  ago  I 
visited  Mr.  Dempsey  in  the  county  of 
Prince  Edward,  determined  to  see  this 
new  grape  as  it  appeared  on  the  orig- 
inal vine.  I  was  amply  repaid  for  my 
trouble,  first,  by  the  very  pleasant 
visit  with  Mr.  Dempsey  and  his  ami- 
able family ;  secondly,  by  seeing  the 
vine,  the  fruit  of  which  I  then  regard- 
ed as  the  best  I  had  ever  eaten 
amongst  the  outdoor  grapes,  and  I  am 
not  sure  that  I  have  up  to  the  present 
time  had  any  reason  to  change  my 
opinion  as  to  the  quality  of  fruit. 
The  vine  with  Mr.  Dempsey  seemed  to 
be  a  good  grower  and  bearer.  It  was 
well  loaded  with  fine  fruit,  which  was 
ripening  a  little  ahead  of  the  Delaware. 


I  at  once  determined  to  have  this 
vine  in  my  garden.  The  grapes  so 
much  resembled  its  parent  on  the 
European  side,  the  Black  Hamburg, 
while  it  showed  none  of  the  objection- 
able qualities  of  the  Hartford  Prolific, 
the  parent  on  the  American  side. 

The  following  spring  I  procured 
two  vines  from  Mr.  Leslie,  and  two 
years  later  procured  five  more  vines. 
But  I  am  very  sorry  that  I  have  had 
no  such  pleasant  experience  as  the 
gentleman  who  writes  from  Ottawa. 
While  I  fully  agree  with  him  as  to  the 
great  superiority  of  the  quality  of 
fruit,  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  the  quan- 
tity has  been  very  deficient.  Although 
this  is  the  fifth  year  for  two  vines,  and 
the  third  year  for  five  others,  I  have 
not  yet  had  a  single  full  cluster  of 
fruit.  All  I  have  this  year  from 
seven  vines  are  two  strao:£:lin2r  half 
bunches,  while  Rogers  44  planted  at 
the  same  time,  and  in  the  row  with  the 
last  lot  of  Burnets  has  several  bunches 
of  fine  fruit  now  fully  ripe;  and  the 
Rochester,  a  new  grai>e,  planted  the 
same  time,  from  Elwanger  &  Barry,  is 
loaded  with  fruit,  which  has  already 
ripened.  The  Rochester  came  tlirough 
the  winter  as  bright  as  a  cun-ant  bush, 
flowered  early  and  set  its  fruit  well, 
and  is  now  quite  ripe.  It  is  only  fair 
to  state  that  none  of  my  vines  had  any 
protection  last  winter,  and  while  the 
Rochester  and  Rogers  44  came 
through  unhurt,  the  Burnets  were 
either  killed  to  the  ground  or  so  badly 
injured  that  the  late  starting  shoots 
gave  no  fruit,  but  have  made  a  very 
good  season's  growth  of  wood.  I  shall 
this  season  provide  the  most  ample 
protection  for  the  Burnet  by  laying  it 
down  and  covering  it  with  earth. 
Should  it  then  bear  well  I  shall  not 
consider  the  trouble  too  great  if  I  can 
only  obtain  the  excellent  crops  of  fruit 
such  as  I  saw  grow  upon  the  original 
vine.     But   should   my   efforts   fail   I 


THE   CANADIAN   H0RTTCULTDEI8T. 


249 


must  either  discard  the  vine  or  learn 
some  other  remedy  that  may  prove 
more  efficacious. 

In  regard  to  the  Rochester  it  is 
very  hardy  and  very  early  ;  evidently 
a  good  bearer.  Bunch  and  berry  simi- 
lar in  appearance,  but  larger  and  more 
compact  than  the  Delaware.  Ripens 
well,  with  very  little  pulp  and  sweet 
to  the  centre,  with  some  of  the  peculiar 
flavour  of  the  Diana.  A  very  good 
grape,  but  not  equal  in  quality  to  some 
other  new  varieties  that  appear  equally 
early  and  equally  hardy. 

Rogers  44  I  find  every  way  very 
satisfactory.  A  rampant  grower,  har- 
dy, a  good  bearer,  very  early  ripening, 
and  of  excellent  quality.  I  now  give 
my  present  impression,  subject  to  any 
modification  that  longer  experience 
may  produce.  I  have  the  Lady  Wash- 
ington, the  Jeffei-son,  the  Bacchus,  the 
Early  Victor,  and  the  Yergennes,  all 
growing  well,  but  not  yet  bearing. 
Hope  to  report  further  at  a  future 
time.  D.  Reesor. 

P.  S. — The  Creveling  bears  so  little 
that  I  think  I  shall  root  it  out  alto- 
gether. I  am  trying  also  the  White 
Ann  Arbor,  but  it  is  not  bearing  yet. 

Rosedale,  Toronto,  Oct.  5,  1882. 

PAPER  BAGS  ON  GRAPES  AND  BEES. 

Mr.  Editor, — I  was  victimized  last 
summer  to  such  an  extent  by  the  bees 
and  flies  that  I  had  not  a  single  bunch 
of  perfect  grapes  in  my  vineyard,  and 
without  any  exaggeration  the  air  was 
positively  tainted  by  the  off*ensive 
smell  from  the  grapes  rotting  on  the 
bunches.  I  never  saw  such  wholesale 
destruction. 

Expecting  another  onslaught  this 
season  I  thought  I  would  prepare  my- 
self for  the  vermin,  and  jnirchased 
3,000  paper  bags  made  on  purpose  for 
preserving  grapes  from  these  and  other 
pests. 


I  noticed  several  very  favourable 
comments  about  the  bags  in  Greens 
Fruit  Grower,  published  in  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  and  I  also  wrote  to  Messrs. 
Ellwanger  &  Barry,  of  the  same  place, 
the  celebrated  nui-serymen,  whose  re- 
ply was  also  favourable,  so  I  concluded 
to  purchase,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say 
that  the  result  was  not  so  decisive  as  I 
expected ;  and  I  found  on  removing 
many  of  the  bags  lately  that  the  gmpes 
were  perfectly  green,  without  any 
colour  or  flavour.  I  would  certainly 
not  advise  my  friends  to  go  into  it  so 
thoroughly  as  I  did,  as  I  am  satisfied 
it  will  result  in  disappointment,  still  I 
shall  (D.  Y.)  use  some  to  preserve  a 
part  of  the  crop  from  the  action  of 
frost,  by  which  means  the  bunches  so 
protected  can  remain  on  the  vines  for 
several  weeks  after  the  main  crop  has 
been  picked. 

This  brings  up  the  subject  of  the 
power  of  bees  to  commit  the  destruc- 
tion complained  of.  If,  as  contended 
by  interested  parties,  they  are  not 
capable  of  doing  so,  how  does  it  happen 
that  this  year  there  are  no  bees,  with  a 
remarkahhj  fine  and  'perfect  crop  of 
(J rapes  ?  I  have  not  noticed  a  single 
bt>e  around  mine,  and  yet  plenty  of 
flios.  I  have  been  informed  that  last 
winter  was  very  destructive  to  bees, 
and  this  certainly  looks  like  it.  So  far 
as  their  power  to  sting  and  suck  the 
berries  without  any  other  insect  mak- 
ing an  incision  for  them,  I  can  only 
say  that  I  have  repeatedly  watched 
them  doing  so.  I  am  borne  out  in 
this  by  my  friend,  J.  C.  Rykert,  Esq., 
M.P.,  and  others  of  my  horticultural 
friends,  to  whom  I  could  refer  if  neces- 
sary. And  now,  my  dear  sir,  excuse 
my  taking  up  so  much  of  your  valuable 
time,  and  allow  me  on  behalf  of  myself 
and  the  horticultural  world  generally, 
to  thank  you  for  your  unwearied  exer- 
tions and  the  talent  you  have  displayed 
in  conducting  the  Canadian  llorticuU 


250 


THE    CA.NADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


turiftt  for  so  many  years,  a  magazine 
that  has  been  of  the  greatest  service  in 
developing  the  horticultural  taste  of  its 
readers.  May  you  be  spared  for  many 
years  to  give  us  our  monthly  treat, 
and  may  your  readers  learn  to  appre- 
ciate the  sacrifice  of  your  time  and 
talents  for  their  benefit. 
Very  truly  yours, 

James  Taylor. 
Yates  Street,  Oct.  5,  1882. 

GRAPES  FOR  PROFIT. 
Inquiry  is  being  made  for  those 
varieties  of  grape  which  vv^ill  give  the 
best  cash  returns  to  the  planter.  The 
writer  has  been  at  some  pains  to  make 
inquiry  of  fruit  dealers  concerning  the 
prices  paid  by  consumers  and  the 
varieties  most  in  demand,  and  learns 
from  them  that  the  early  grapes  are 
always  readily  sold  at  good  prices. 
In  confirmation  of  this  a  gentleman 
mentioned  that  he  had  twenty-two 
vines  of  the  Champion  ;  and  that  he 
took  the  fruit  from  them  to  Toronto 
and  realized  for  it  forty  dollars.  Fruit 
dealers  in  St.  Catharines  are  selling 
Delaware  and  such  of  the  Rogers' 
varieties  as  are  to  be  had,  at  from 
eight  to  ten  cents  per  pound,  retail  ; 
and  Concords  at  five  cents.  Jessica, 
an  early  white  variety,  was  sold  at  ten 
dollars  per  hundred  pounds  to  Toronto 
and  Cobourg  fruiterer's.  The  white 
and  red  varieties  seem  to  be  the  most 
popular,  commanding  a  ready  sale  at 
the  best  prices.  The  red  varieties  of 
the  Rogers  grapes,  known  as  Agawam, 
and  Lindley,  seem  to  be  the  best  of 
this  colour ;  while  Wilder  and  Merri- 
mack take  the  lead  among  the  black 
varieties.  There  is  not  as  yet  enough 
of  Moore's  Early  grown  in  Canada  to 
enable  one  to  ascertain  the  estimation 
in  Avhich  it  is  held  here,  but  Sands, 
Furber  &  Co.,  of  Boston,  write  that 
they  sold  several  tons  of  it  at  twelve 
to  thirteen  cents  per  pound  wholesale 


previous  to  the  19th  of  September. 
The  Brighton  is  a  very  fine  red  grape, 
of  excellent  quality  and  prolific,  but 
has  not  yet  been  placed  upon  our  mar- 
ket in  sufficient  quantity  to  be  gener- 
ally known. 

These  facts  may  be  of  some  value  to 
those  desiring  to  plant  for  market,  who 
will  have  to  take  into  consideration 
not  only  the  price  to  be  obtained,  but 
the  health,  vigour,  hardiness,  and  pro- 
ductiveness of  the  vine  in  their  several 
localities. 


RASPBERRIES    AND    BLACKBERRIES 
FOR  PROFIT. 

Reliance. — A  large,  purple  red,  moder- 
ately productive  berry.  It  is  of  good 
flavor,  looks  well  in  the  box,  and  the 
cane  is  quite  hardy  and  a  good  grower. 

Earljj  Prolific. — This  is  a  very  good 
berry,  but  it  is  less  prolific  than  the 
Reliance,  and  so  offers  but  few  induce- 
ments for  planting. 

Highland  Hardy  is  a  hardy,  very 
early  berry,  of  good  color  and  quality, 
but  only  moderately  productive.  Still 
it  is  considered  worthy  of  culture 
because  of  its  earliness.  It  ripens 
earliest  of  all,  and  the  canes  may  be 
cleaned  in  a  few  days,  and  all  the 
berries  sold  at  a  high  price ;  hence  it  is 
about  as  profitable  as  much  more  pro- 
lific varieties  which  ripen  later. 

Turner. — They  are  very  hardy,  but 
in  productiveness  fall  considerably  be- 
low two  or  three  other  sorts.  The 
berry  is  a  handsome  bright  red,  of  ex- 
cellent quality,  but  not  of  the  greatest 
firmness. 

Brandy  wine. — The  canes  are  hardy, 
vigorous  and  very  productive.  The 
fruit  is  of  good  size,  good  color,  fair 
quality  and  firm. 

Cuthbert. — It  is  probably  the  latest 
variety  of  good  red  raspberries  we  have 
in  cultivation.  The  canes  are  large, 
and  the  foliafje  luxuriant.     The  fruit 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULT CRIST. 


251 


is  of  the  largest  size,  conical  in  form, 
quite  firm,  of  excellent  flavor ;  a  light 
brilliant"  crimson  when  fii-st  ripe,  be- 
coming a  darker  crimson,  or  cherry 
color,  when  over-ripe.  We  consider 
this  a  slight  demerit,  for  in  a  lar^ 
plantation  a  portion  of  the  fruit  will 
necessarily  be  over  ripe  when  gathered, 
and  a  box  with  a  portion  of  the  fruit 
cherry-colored,  will  not  look  so  attrac- 
tive as  if  all  were  of  a  light  crim- 
son, or  bright  scarlet.  With  this  de- 
mei'it,  however,  we  think  the  Ciithbert 
now  stands  at  the  head  of  the  list  of 
profitable  red  raspberries.  If  any 
variety  can  successfully  dispute  its  pre- 
eminence, it  is  the  Brandywine,  which 
can  not  be  dispensed  with,  on  account 
of  its  earlier  season.  As  it  presents 
itself  to  us.  Highland  Hardy,  Brandy- 
wine,  and  Cuthbert,  are  the  three  | 
desirable  varieties  of  red  raspberries 
for  a  succession  through  the  season. 

BLACK -CAPS. 

Gregg. — The  Gregg  as  is  now  gener- 
ally well  known,  is  a  firm  dry  berry, 
yielding  the  largest  percentage  of  dried 
fruit  in  the  evaporator.  As  a  table 
fruit  we  should  prefer  the  Mammoth 
Cluster. 

BLACKBERRIES. 

Agawam. — This  is  in  some  respects 
the  best  market  blackberry  cultivated. 
While  it  is  a  hardy,  vigorous  grower, 
and  very  productive,  the  fruit  is  large 
and  sweet  all  the  way  through.  It  is 
a  little  inferior  in  size  to  Ijawton  and 
Kittatinny,  and  perhaps  not  as  high 
flavored  as  those  varieties,  when  at 
their  best,  but,  as  picked  for  market,  it 
is  wholly  exempt  from  that  sour  core 
so  well  known  in  the  Ijawton,  and  is 
soft  and  sweet  all  the  way  through. 

The  Ancient  Briton  is  a  very  vigor- 
ous, hardy,  prolific  cano,  and  the  fruit 
is  nearly  the  size  of  A^wam.  We 
think  there  is  a  little  more  of  the  wild 
blackberry  flavor  in  it  than  in  any 
other  of  the  cultivated  sorts. 


Siiyier  is  now  pretty  well  known. 
In  productiveness,  it  really  excelled  any 
other,  the  loads  of  fruit  on  the  canes 
were  just  marvellous,  and  worth  walk- 
ing a  gieat  way  to  behold. — American 
Rural  Home. 


THE  "JAMES  VICK"  STRAWBERRY. 

A  few  Rochester  horticulturists  were 
invited  to  see  the  new  strawberry  James 
Vick  in  bearing.  W.  C.  Barry,  late 
President  of  the  Nurseryman's  Asso- 
ciation ;  P.  C.  Reynolds,  long  Secretary 
of  Western  New  York  Horticultural 
Society,  and  horticultural  editor  of  the 
American  Rural  Home  ;  the  Vick  Bro- 
thers, representing  the  firm  of  James 
Vick  ;  John  Charlton  and  Josiah  Salter. 

They  were  first  shown  rows  of  the 
new  strawberry  from  plants  set  late  the 
previous  fall,  growing  in  the  same  bed 
with  Manchester  and  Bidwell.  The 
new  berry  showed  twice  the  fruit  of 
either  Bidwell  or  Manchester,  and  more 
vigor  of  plant.  The  party  wei-e  next 
shown  a  plat  of  about  one-fourth  acre, 
not  manured  for  many  years,  common 
farm  soil  in  the  midst  of  a  field  of 
twenty  acres  of  fruit,  on  which  the  new 
strawberry  had  been  permitted  to  form 
wide  and  thick  matted  rows  for  the 
purpose  of  multiplying  plants,  from  the 
whole  of  which  plants  had  been  dug  a 
few  months  previous,  tearing  and  loosen- 
ing the  roots  of  those  remaining.  The 
soil  was  packed  hard  and  very  weedy, 
showing  evidence  of  neglect,  yet  under 
such  adverse  circumstances, which  would 
lead  one  to  expect  no  fruit  worth  gather- 
ing, the  ])lants  were  thickly  studded, 
an<l  the  rows  fairly  ablaze  with  large, 
beautifully  and  evenly  colored,  firm  and 
shajK^ly  berries  of  8ui)erior  quality. 
From  this  bed  was  subsequently  picked 
the  largest  yield  of  fruit  ever  gathered 
from  any  variety  on  this  fruit  farm. 
Mr.  W.  C.  Barry  said  that  of  all  the 
new  strawberries  he   had   tested,    this 


252 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTUKIST. 


was  the  most  promising.  He  described 
the  color  as  bright  scarlet  turning  to 
crimson,  surface  glazed,  seeds  on  sur- 
face, season  medium,  quality  good.  All 
the  party  expressed  themselves  highly 
pleased  with  the  display  of  fruit,  and 
ate  it  with  a  good  relish.  The  plant  is 
vigorous,  with  large  glossy  dark  green 
foliage,  the  blossoms  hermaphrodite  (or 
perfect),  the  fruit  handsome,  large,  lus- 
cious, firm,  and  in  great  abundance. 

The  party  returned  to  Rochester,  and 
were  invited  to  visit  a  small  plantation 
there  of  the  James  Vick  fruiting  under 
hill  culture,  the  rows  lying  between 
bearing  grape  vines,  not  the  most  desir- 
able position  as  the  grape  roots  must 
have  occupied  the  entire  soil.  Here  a 
sight  met  their  eyes  that  they  could 
not  have  anticipated,  and  such  a  dis- 
play as  probably  was  never  before  made 
by  any  strawberry.  The  stools  were 
large  and  vigorous,  and  around  each 
was  a  pyramid  of  ripe  berries  piled  one 
on  another  like  a  walled  fort,  and  so 
thick  together  that  a  bug  could  hardly 
have  crawled  into  the  enclosure  made 
by  the  fruit  without  climbing  the  barri- 
cade. Berries  on  every  plant  were 
"  uniformly  of  good  size,"  as  was  re- 
marked by  Secretary  P.  C.  Reynolds, 
The  fruit  stems  were  long  and  stout, 
but  could  not  sustain  the  great  burden 
imposed  upon  them  (often  12  to  18  ripe 
berries  on  one  fruit  stem),  thus  the 
fruit  rested  one  berry  on  another  in  a 
circle  about  the  plant. 

The  news  soon  spread  among  the 
lovers  of  fruit  of  the  city,  and  early 
next  morning  our  leading  pomologists 
came  to  inspect  the  newest  wonder. 
After  these  came  the  younger  enthu- 
siasts, the  foremen,  and  others  who 
desired  to  see  for  themselves  if  half 
were  true  that  had  been  told  them. 

Mr.  Charlton  said  that  as  soon  as  the 
Norfolk  (Va.),  and  other  large  straw- 
berry planters  learned  of  the  value  of 


the  James  Vick  for  market,  and  ship- 
ment, the  demand  would  be  something 
wonderful. 

The  following  is  from  the  Geo.  A. 
Stone  nursery,  Rochester,  N.Y.  : — 
"  Dear  Sir  :  I  saw  the  James  Vick  to- 
day at  Rochester.  It  would  certainly 
seem  to  possess  all  desirable  qualities. 
It  is  very  prolific,  firm  of  texture,  and 
of  fine  flavor." 

Geo.  S.  Wales,  the  Bannockburn 
nurseryman,  said  he  had  seen  nothing 
equal  to  the  James  Vick. 

Secretary  P.'C.  Reynolds,  of  Roches- 
ter, N.Y.,  considers  the  quality  of 
James  Vick  very  good,  and  well  suited 
to  his  taste,  which  is  exceedingly  critical. 
With  possibly  one  exception  he  has  not 
seen  anything  to  equal  it  in  productive- 
ness. He  considers  it  more  productive, 
larger  and  of  better  quality  than  the 
Manchester. 

We  sent  fruit  of  the  James  Vick  to 
Mr.  J.  T.  Lovett,  over  300  miles  dis- 
tant, and  he  reports  that  it  came  in  fine 
condition.  As  a  shipping  variety  it  is 
particularly  desirable. 

THE    POINTS    OF    MERIT 

of  the  James  Vick  are  briefly  : 

( 1  )  Fine  quality,  unusual  vigor,  and 
hermaphrodite  (or  perfect)  blossoms. 

(2)  Color,  form  and  firmness  of  berry, 
which  approach  the  ideal.  No  white 
tips,  no  coxcombs. 

(3)  Ability  to  stand  on  the  vines  a 
week  after  ripening,  without  becoming 
soft,  or  rotting,  or  losing  quality  or 
much  lustre.  Instead  of  softening  it 
shrinks  a  trifle,  and  becomes  firmer 
than  when  first  ripe. 

(4)  Uniformly  large  size,  and  pro- 
ductiveness unequalled  by  any  other 
variety.  Two  hundred  and  eighty  ber- 
ries were  counted  on  one  average  plant, 
and  from  one  row  about  100  feet  long 
nearly  two  bushels  of  berries  were 
gathered. — Greens  Fruit  Grower. 


25+ 


TIIK   CANADIAN    H0RTlCULTrttI8T. 


THE    MANCHESTER    STRAWBERRY. 

We  have  had  a  favorable  opinion  of 
this  new  variety  from  the  first,  believing 
it  to  be  well  adapted  to  general  field  or 
garden  culture,  but  particularly  for  mar- 
ket, or  wherever  firmness  and  produc- 
tiveness are  desirable.  No  one  can  tell 
positively  how  it  will  do  in  various  soils, 
but  reports  have  been  given  from  men 
like  Peter.  B.  Mead,  President  Collins, 
E.  P.  Roe,  Wm.  Parry,  J.  G.  Burrow, 
J.  H.  Hale,  and  others  entirely  disin- 
terested, proclaiming  the  Manchester, 
grown  on  light  sea  sand,  on  which  the 
weeds  can  scarcely  survive,  as  compared 
with  Wilson's  Albany,  thus  far  supe 
rior.  It  averages  one  and  a  half  times 
the  size.  It  is  of  much  better  flavor. 
It  is  far  more  attractive  with  its  bright 
scarlet  color,  and  finer  in  appearance. 
The  plant  is  double  the  size  and  far  more 
vigorous.  It  carries  the  fruit  higher 
from  the  ground.  The  yield,  as  it 
appears,  is  one-half  more.  In  firmness 
it  fully  equals  the  Wilson. 

The  commission  men  who  have  han- 
dled the  Manchester  for  three  years,  re- 
port that  from  its  large  size,  bright  color, 
tine  appearance  and  firmness,  it  invari- 
ably commands  high  prices.  Further,  it 
keeps  its  color  the  best  of  any  berry,  and 
*'  stands  up  "  well.  They  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  "  keep  it  over,"  and  have  at 
different  times,  when  there  was  a  glut 
in  the  market,  kept  it  until  the  second 
day,  when  it  would  present  a  fine 
appearance  and  sell  readily  at  better 
prices  than  could  possibly  have  been 
obtained  when  it  came  into  market. 

Mr  Peter  B.  Mead,  the  venerable 
horticulturist  and  co-worker  with  Chas. 
Downing,  says  ;  "  In  this  I  think  the 
strawberry  has  been  discovered  that 
has  long  been  sought  for.  I  have  never 
seen  a  strawberry  that  in  all  respects 
impressed  me  so  favorably." 

The  Strawberry  is  one  of  the  most 
enticing  and  beautiful  of  all  the  gifts  of 


the  great  Creator,  thus  the  efforts  to 
improve  it  are  never  ceasing.  Wonder- 
ful progress  has  been  made  within  the 
past  few  years,  but  the  end  has  not  yet 
come  ;  the  work  has  only  fairly  begun. 
We  have  strawberries  large  and  vigor- 
ous enough — we  now  want  firmness  and 
quality,  and  those  fruiting  much  earlier 
and  later.  We  give  the  Manchester  a 
hearty  welcome. — Fruit  Grower. 


BLACK  RASPBERRIES  AND  BLACK- 
BERRIES. . 

There  is  room  for  extension  in  the 
culture  of  these  two  species  of  small 
fruits.  Black  raspberries  are  easy  of  culti- 
vation— -nearly  as  easy  as  potatoes — as, 
if  planted  in  rows  each  way,  six  feet  by 
three,  nearly  all  the  culture  can  be  done 
by  horse  and  cultivator  or  horse-hoe. 
They  are  not  only  easy  of  culture,  but 
it  looks  as  if  there  would  be  a  large  de- 
mand for  them,  both  in  the  green  and 
dried  condition,  and  at  rates  that  will 
leave  the  grower  some  profit.  Dried 
raspberries  are  a  favorite  dried  fruit  and 
when  the  market  is  extended  over  the 
world,  the  demand  must  be  enormous, 
and  the  price  of  the  dried  fruit  must  be 
considerably  lower  than  it  has  ever  yet 
been  not  to  compensate  for  the  cost  of 
growing. 

As  for  profitable  varieties,  we  have 
been  favorably  impressed  with  the  Tyler 
for  an  early  one.  We  saw  a  large  plan- 
tation on  the  grounds  of  Robert  John- 
ston, near  Shortsville,  Ontario  county, 
and  the  canes  were  remarkably  vigor- 
ous. He  informed  us  that  the  canes  are 
very  hardy,  passing  through  the  winters 
without  injury,  that  they  ripen  the  ear- 
liest with  the  exception  of  Davison's 
Thornless ;  that  they  are  very  produc- 
tive, and  of  a  dead  black  color,  no  bloom. 
They  are  also  of  excellent  quality,  with 
fewer  seeds  than  most  other  black-caps. 

The  Gregg,  is  a  vigorous  grower,  with 
a  very   strong  cane,  and  a  marvel  in 


THE  CANADIAN    noRTICULTUtnST. 


255 


production.  Mr.  Weeks,  of  West  Web- 
ster, informed  us  that  he  j)lanted  304 
plants  in  the  spring  of  1881.  That  at 
the  tirst  picking  this  season  he  picked 
96  quarts,  and  that  at  the  second  pick- 
ing he  picked  twice  that  amount,  or  288 
quarts  in  the  first  two  pickings  from 
only  304  plants.  Mr.  Johnston  had 
found  them  very  prolific,  and  like  ac- 
counts come  from  every  direction. 

With  these  two  varieties  the  season 
of  black-caps  may  be  extended  over 
several  weeks,  and  the  evaporators  kept 
running  upon  them  until  blackberries 
are  ripe. 

Blackberries — We  are  not  certain 
that  this  fruit  can  be  grown  so  as  to 
evaporate  witli  profit,  yet  we  are  not 
certain  that  they  may  not,  if  such  pro- 
lific varieties  are  planted  as  we  have  seen 
in  bearing  this  year.  We  have  men- 
tioned the  Snyder,  Ancient  Briton  and 
Agawam,  as  growing  on  the  grounds  of 
Mr.  0.  M.  Hooker,  near  Rochester. 
We  certainly  think  they  could  be  grown 
at  pretty  low  rates  if  in  demand  for 
eVai)orating. 

On  Mr.  Johnston's  grounds  we  saw 
the  Western  Triumph,  on  much  weaker 
soil  than  Mr.  Hooker's,  but  scarcely  less 
productive. '  It  is  much  hardier,  even, 
than  the  Snyder,  having  stood  the  win- 
ter where  the  latter  froze  down.  The 
canes  are  perfectly  loaded  down  with 
fruit,  which  is  of  good  size,  nearly  round, 
and  sweet  all  the  way  through.  It  is 
not  only  sweet,  but  the  seeds  are  small 
and  not  at  all  prominent.  While  the 
Lawton,  Kittatiny  and  Early  Wilson 
are  larger,  and  when  dead  ripe  of  ex- 
quisite flavor,  they  are  very  liable  to  be 
v/inter-killed,  and  when  picked  \as  they 
usually  are  for  market)  as  soon  as  black, 
are  hard  and  so\ir,  and  have  done  much 
to  bring  the  blackberry  into  dLsrepute 
OS  a  market  berry. 

Mr.  Johnston  also  grows  the  Knox, 
which  is  quite  hardy,  and  very  produc- 


tive. It  is  later  than  Western  Triumph 
and  was  unripe.  We  found  growing  in 
the  Knox  plantation,  occasional  hills  of 
a  blackberry  unknown  to  us,  that  was 
very  delicious.  It  was  of  good  size, 
longer  than  Western  Triumph,  soft,  and 
of  very  high  flavor. — Rural  Borne. 


HANDLING  APPLES. 

J.  S.  Woodward,  a  large  fruit-grower 
of  Niagara  county,  N.Y.,  furnishes  the 
following  to  the  JVew  York  Tribune  : — 

"  Apples  always,  whether  in  barrels 
or  piles,  when  the  temperature  is  rising 
so  that  the  surrounding  air  is  warmer 
than  the  apples,  condense  moisture  on 
the  surface  and  become  quite  moist 
and  sometimes  dripping  wet,  and  this 
has  given  the  common  impression  that 
they  *  sweat,'  which  is  not  true.  As 
they  come  from  the  tree  they  are 
plump  and  solid,  full  of  juice  ;  by  keep- 
ing, they  gradually  part  with  a  ])or- 
tion  of  this  moisture,  the  quantity 
varying  with  the  temperature  and  the 
circulation  of  air  about  them,  being 
much  more  rapid  when  first  picked 
than  after  a  short  time,  and  by  parting 
with  this  moisture  ihey  become  springy 
or  yielding,  and  in  a  better  condition 
to  pack  closely  in  'barrels  ;  but  this 
moisture  never  shows  on  the  surface  in 
the  form  of  sweat.  Keeping  apples 
very  much  depends  on  the  surround- 
ings ;  every  variation  in  temperature 
causes  a  change  in  the  fruit,  and  has- 
tens maturity  and  decay,  and  wo  should 
strive  to  have  as  little  change  as  possi- 
ble, and  also  have  the  temperature  as 
low  as  possible  so  the  apples  do  not 
freeze.  Some  varieties  keep  much  bet- 
ter in  open  bins  than  others ;  for  in- 
stance, the  Greening  is  one  of  the  best 
to  store  in  bins.  A  very  good  way  for 
storing  apples  is  to  have  a  fruit- room 
that  can  be  made  and  kept  from  32 
deg.  to  28  deg.,  and  the  air  close  and 
pure  ;   put  the  apples  in  slatted  boxes. 


256 


THE   CANAniAN    H0RTICTTLTtTRI8T. 


not  bins,  each  box  holding  about  one 
barrel,  and  pile  them  in  tiers  so  that 
one  box  above  rests  on  two  below,  and 
only  barrel  when  ready  to  market ;  but 
this  is  an  expensive  way,  and  can  only 
be  practiced  by  those  with  limited 
crops  of  apples,  and  it  is  not  at  all 
practicable  for  long  keeping,  because 
in  this  way  they  lose  moisture  much 
more  rapidly  that  when  headed  close 
in  barrels,  and  become  badly  shrivelled. 
"  All  things  considered,  there  is  no 
way  of  keeping  apples  quite  so  good 
and  practicable  as  packing  in  tight 
barrels  and  storing  in  cool  cellars  ;  the 
barrel  forms  a  room  within  a  room  and 
prevents  circulation  of  air  and  conse- 
quent drying  and  shrinking  of  the 
fruit,  and  also  lessens  the  changes  of 
temperature,  and  besides  more  fruit 
can  be  packed  and  stored  in  a  given 
space.  The  poorest  of  all  ways  is  the 
large  open  bin,  and  the  objections  are  : 
too  much  fruit  in  contact ;  too  much 
weight  upon  the  lower  fruit ;  and  too 
much  trouble  to  handle  and  sort  when 
desirable  to  market.  It  was  formerly 
the  almost  universal  custom  in  western 
Kew  York  to  sort  and  barrel  the 
apples  as  fast  as  picked  from  the  trees, 
heading  up  at  once  and  drawing  to 
market  or  piling  in  some  cool  place  till 
the  approach  of  cold  weather,  and  then 
putting  in  cellars.  By  this  method  it 
was  impossible  to  prevent  leaves,  twigs 
and  other  dirt  from  getting  in,  and  it 
was  difficult  to  properly  sort  the  fruit, 
and  if  well  sorted,  occasionally  an  ap- 
ple, with  no  visible  cause,  will  entirely 
and  wholly  rot  soon  after  picking. 
Some  varieties  are  more  liable  to  do 
this  than  others,  but  all  will  to  some 
extent ;  this  occurs  within  a  week  or 
ten  days  after  picking,  and  when 
barrelled  these  decayed  apples  are  of 
course  in  the  barrels,  and  help  to  decay 
others.  Although  packed  ever  so  well 
and  pressed  ever  so  tight,  the  shrink- 
ing   of  the    fresh    picked    fruit   soon 


makes  them  loose,  and  nothing  is  so 
bad  in  handling  apples  as  this.  Alto- 
gether this  was  a  very  untidy  method 
of  handling  apples,  and  has  been  en- 
tirely abandoned  for  a  better. 

"  The  very  best  method  depends  a 
good  deal  upon  the  quantity  to  be 
handled  ;  if  only  a  few  hundred  barrels 
they  can  be  put  in  open  barrels  and 
stored  on  the  barn  floor.  Place  empty 
barrels  on  a  log-boat  or  old  sled  ;  take 
out  the  upper  head  and  place  it  in  the 
bottom  of  the  barrel ;  on  picking  the 
apples  put  them  without  sorting  direct- 
ly into  these  barrels,  and  when  a  load 
is  filled  draw  to  the  barn  and  place  in 
tiers  on  end  along  one  side  of  the  floor  ; 
when  one  tier  is  full  lay  some  strips  of 
board  on  top  and  on  these  place 
another  tier  of  barrels ;  then  more 
boards  and  another  tier ;  two  men  can 
easily  pi  ice  them  three  tiers  high,  and 
an  ordinary  barn  floor  will  in  this  way 
store  a  good  many  barrels  of  apples. 
Where  many  hundreds  or  thousands  of 
barrels  are  grown,  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
build  houses  or  sheds  in  convenient 
places  in  the  orchards  for  holding  the 
apples  as  picked  ;  these  are  built  on 
posts  or  stones  about  one  foot  from  the 
ground.  The  floors,  sides,  and  ends 
should  be  made  of  stri])S  about  four 
inches  wide  and  placed  one  inch  apart, 
and  the  roof  should  project  well  on 
every  side.  The  apples,  as  picked,  are 
drawn  to  these  in  boxes  or  barrels  and 
piled  carefully  on  the  floors  about 
three  feet  deep.  Where  these  houses 
are  not  provided,  the  next  best  way  is 
to  pile  the  apples,  as  picked,  on  clean 
straw  under  the  trees  in  the  deepest 
shade  to  be  found. 

"  After  lying  in  any  one  of  these 
positions  about  ten  days,  they  should 
be  carefully  sorted  and  packed  in  clean 
barrels,  placing  at  least  two  layers  on 
the  bottom  of  the  barrels,  with  stems 
down ;  after  this  fill  full,  shaking  mod- 
erately two  or  three  times  as  the  filling 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTI0ULTUHI8T. 


257 


goes  on,  and  with  some  sort  of  press, 
press  the  head  down  so  that  the  apples 
shall  remain  firm  and  full  under  all 
kinds  of  handling.  Apples  may  be 
))ressed  too  much  as  well  as  too  little. 
If  pressed  so  that  many  ai-e  broken, 
and  badly  broken,  they  will  soon  get 
loose  and  rattle  in  the  barrels,  and 
nothing  spoils  them  sooner  than  this. 
What  we  want  is  to  have  them  just  so 
they  shall  be  sure  to  remain  firm. 
Careful  shaking  so  as  to  have  them 
well  settled  together,  has  as  much  to 
do  with  their  remaining  firm,  as  the 
pressing  down  of  the  head.  After  the 
barrels  are  filled  and  headed  they 
vshould  at  once  be  placed  on  their  sides 
in  a  barn  or  shed,  or  in  piles  covered 
with  boards  from  sun  and  rain,  or  if  a 
fruit  house  or  cellar  is  handy  they  may 
at  once  be  placed  therein ;  the  object 
should  be  to  keep  them  as  cool  and  at 
as  even  a  temperature  as  possible.  In 
all  the  operations  of  handling  apples, 
from  picking  to  market,  remember  that 
carelessness  and  harshness  alw.iys 
bruise  the  fruit,  and  that  every  bruisi 
detracts  much  from  its  keeping  and 
market  value  ;  and  always  remember 
that  '  honesty  is  the  best  policy.' " 

THINNING  FRUIT. 
It  is  the  tendency  of  every  well  cul- 
tivated, healthy  fruit  tree,  to  set  more 
fruit  than  it  can  jjerfect  or  bring  to  a 
good  size.  This  is  especially  true  of 
pears,  and  if  large,  well  ripened  fruit 
of  this  kind  is  desired,  the  fruit  must 
be  thinned  out  well,  commencing  when 
the  fi'uit  is  the  size  of  hazel  nuts,  again 
when  they  are  about  half  grown,  and 
again  a  couple  of  weeks  before  maturity. 
The  latter  "thinning"  is  frequently 
marketed,  furnishing  the  "  small  boy  " 
with  cramps  and  cholera,  and  the  doc- 
tors with  business.  In  thinning  out 
the  fruit,  do  the  work  carefully,  re- 
moving the  smallest  and  imperfect  ones 
'•nly,  and  not  like  an  Irishman  we  once 
2 


had  who  commenced  with  the  largest 
ones,  "to  give  the  little  ones  a  chance." 
The  thinning  should  be  done  only  by 
hand,  for  jarring  the  trees,  especially 
the  pear,  is  apt  to  work  injury  in  many 
ways,  and  too  often  brings  down  the 
best  and  heaviest  fruit,  which  should 
remain. — Farm  and  Garden. 

GREEN  PEAS. 

TESTS   WITH  THE  LATEST  ENGLISH  NOVELTIE<. 

Several  years  ago  the  Rural  Ne\c 
jror/<;er  tested  27  different  kinds  of  p3as 
—  most  of  them  well-known — and  now 
reports  upon  tests  made  the  past  season 
with  1  \  different  kinds.  The  seeds  of 
most  of  them  were  procured  from  the 
originators  or  introducers  in  England, 
the  older  kinds  being  raised  beside 
them  for  purposes  of  comparison  as  to 
yield,  productiveness,  habit,  etc. 

The  soil,  a  clay  loam,  was  well  fitted 
by  spading  and  raking,  and  manured 
with  chemical  fertilizer  at  tlie  rate  of 
400  pounds  to  the  acre  and  a  light 
dressing  of  hen  manure  and  muck. 
The  peas  were  planted  two  inches  deep, 
two  inches  apart,  in  drills  three  feet 
apart. 

The  object  in  planting  the  Old  Phila- 
del})hia  beside  Landreth's  Ex.  Early,. 
was  to  determine  how  much  improve- 
ment the  latter,  which  is  now  one  of 
the  most  popular  of  the  easiest  class,, 
showed  over  the  former  from  which 
many  of  the  earliest  peas  of  to-day 
have  sprung. 

The  object  in  planting  the  Little 
Gem  beside  the  American  Wonder,  was 
to  note  differences  which  had  previous- 
ly seemed  a  little  obscure. 

The  object  in  planting  both  the  Tele- 
phone and  Telegraph  wius  to  ascertain 
by  more  careful  observation  than  had . 
been  made  in  tests  of  three  years  ago, 
whether  there  were  any  marked  differ- 
ences between  them.  AU  were  plant- 
ed (by  h»nd)  April  3rd. 


258 


THE   CANADIAN    HOKTICULTURTST. 


Landretlis  Extra  Early.— 3'\ni%  18th 
there  were  more  peas  upon  this  variety 
tit  to  be  picked  than  upon  any  other. 
The  first  mess  was  gathered  June  21st, 
when  a  few  were  also  picked  from 
Laxton's  Earliest  of  All.  The  vines 
fijrew  a  little  over  three  feeb  in  height. 
They  branch  very  little,  are  rather 
slender  and  average  seven  to  eight  pods 
to  the  vine.  This  strain  is  evidently 
carefully  selected — the  vines  growing 
to  a  uniform  height  and  maturing  the 
fruit  as  nearly  all  at  once  as  it  seems 
}>ossible  for  any  variety  to  do. 

On  June  26th,  200  pods  were  pick- 
ed which  weighed  33  ounces — contain- 
ed 1,202  seeds  which  weighed  13  oz. 

The  Old  Philadelphia  Extra  Early. — 
This  proved  to  be,  with  Laxton's 
Earliest  of  All,  the  second  early.  In 
point  of  earliness  we  could  note  no  dif- 
ference between  the  two.  The  first 
picking  was  made  June  23rd,  and  at 
the  same  time  a  few  were  ready  to  be 
picked  upon  the  American  Wonder  and 
Wood's  Ex.  Early.  The  vines  are 
strong,  not  much  inclined  to  branch 
and  grow  3|  feet  in  height. 

June  26th — 200  pods  weighed  32 
ounces,  which  contained  970  seeds 
which  weighed  10  ounces. 

Laxtoris  Earliest  of  All. — ^This  pea 
was  extensively  advertised  in  England 
last  year  as  the  earliest  pea  known.  It 
was  no  earlier  than  the  Old  Phila- 
delphia. Tlie  vines  grow  a  little  over 
three  feet  and  are  notably  slender  and 
never  branching,  and  bear  seven  pods 
to  a  vine.  The  variety  has  been  care- 
fully selected.  All  the  vines  grew  to 
the  same  height,  were  uniformly  pro- 
ductive, maturing  to  the  tops  nearly  at 
the  same  time,  so  that  the  entire  crop 
may  be  taken  ofi"  before  wrinkled  peas 
are  ready  and  the  ground  be  prepared 
for  later  crops.  The  same,  however, 
may  be  said  as  to  the  Philadelphia, 
Lindreth's,  American  Wonder,  etc. 


On  June  26th,  200  pods  weighed 
32J  ounces — contained  1,300  seeds 
which  weighed  12  ounces. 

Wood's  Extra  Early. —  An  excellent 
variety  maturing  with  Philadelphia, 
from  which  it  is  distinguishable  by  a 
more  vigorous  growth  of  vine.  It  also 
grows  one  foot  taller. 

June  27  th,  picked  200  pods  which 
contained  1.020  seeds  weighing  14 
ounces.  The  pods  (fruit  entire)  were 
not  weighed. 

America7i  Baxter. — The  vines  grew  to- 
the  height  of  five  feet.  The  pods  which 
formed  near  the  ground  were  ready  to 
pick  June  25  th,  though  those  immedi- 
ately above  were  quite  immature.  Still 
higher  up  the  blossoms  had  not  yet  set, 
while  at  the  tops  of  the  vines  the 
flowers  were  not  even  in  bloom.  July 
2nd,  were  picking  them  from  within 
a  foot  of  the  top.  The  tips  of  the  vines 
were  then  in  bloom  while  j.ust  beneath 
were  many  young  pods.  The  last 
picking  was  made  July  10th,  which 
was  16  days  after  the  American  Won- 
der was  in  bearing,  and  other  wrinkled 
peas,  such  as  the  Telephone,  Edinburgh 
Beauty,  etc.,  were  in  use.  As  to  quality^ 
there  is  very  little  choice  between  the 
smooth  kinds  ;  provided  they  are  in  the 
same  stage  of  maturity  and  cooked  just 
alike  it  is  hard  to  detect  any  differences. 
It  is  very  evident  that  nobody  wants 
a  smooth  pea  when  he  can  get  a 
wrinkled  j)ea.  The  peculiarity  of  the 
Racer,  that  it  is  in  use  a  long  time,  is 
therefore  no  great  merit.  On  the  one 
hand,  we  have  earlier  peas — as  Daniel 
O'Rourke,  First  and  Best,  Phila- 
delphia, Landreth's  Extra  Early,  etc., 
and,  on  the  other,  peas  very  much  bet- 
ter in  quality. 

The  Racer  bears  an  average  of  14 
pods  to  a  vine,  each  pod  having  from 
five  to  seven  peas,  never  over  eight. 
The  pods  are  well  filled. 

June  27th,  picked   200   pods    which 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


259 


contained    1,090    seeds    weighing    14 
ounces. 

American  Wonder. — ^The  vines  grow 
from  six  to  eighteen  inches  high,  de- 
pending upon  the  soil  and  situation. 
The  stems  are  strong,  needing  no  sup- 
port and  generally  branch  near  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil,  the  branch  bearing 
from  two  to  four  pods  —  the  entire 
plant  from  ten  to  fifteen. 

On  June  2Gth,  picked  200  pods, 
which  contained  954  seeds  which  weigh- 
ed 10  ounces. 

The  Wonder,  besides  being  of  the  first 
quality,  is  within  two  or  three  days 
as  early  as  any  of  the  smooth  kinds. 
This,  to  the  vigilant  gardener  is  of  the 
fii-st  importance,  and  may  determine  a 
loss  or  profit  upon  his  main  crop.  But 
for  home  use,  sow  sparingly  of  the 
smooth  kinds  and  trust  to  the  Wonder 
for  the  bulk  of  earliest  peas.  There 
is  all  the  difierence  in  sweetness  be- 
tween smooth  and  wrinkled  peas  that 
there  is  between  sweet  and  field  corn. 

McLean's  Little  Gem. — This  is  scarce 
ly  less  prolific  than  the  Wonder,  and 
the  quality  is  much  the  same.  But 
the  vines  grow  taller  under  the  same 
conditions  and  it  seems  to  be  about  one 
week  later.  The  pods  average  fewer 
seeds,  while  the  seeds  average  larger. 

July  1st,  picked  200  pods  which  con- 
tained 720  seeds,  weighing  10 J  ounces. 

Telephone. — Vines  very  strong,  grow- 
ing four  feet  high,  averaging  18  to  20 
pods  to  a  plant.  It  branches  consider- 
ably, the  branches  bearing  from  three 
to  five  pods.  The  pods  average  six  to 
seven  large  wrinkled  seeds  of  the  fii-st 
quality.     First  picking  July  4th. 

July  9th,  picked  200  pods  which 
weighed  66  ounces,  contained  1,320 
seeds  weighing  28J  ounces. 

Telegraph. — Vines  very  strong,gi*ow- 
ing  four  feet  high,  averaging  16  to  18 
pods  to  a  vine.  The  vines  branch, 
each  branch  bearing  three  to  five  pods. 


The  pods  average  six  to  seven  large, 
wrinkled  seeds  of  the  first  quality. 
First  picking  July  4. 

July  9th,  200 pods  weighed  65  ounces, 
contained  1,332  seeds  which  weighed 
28  ounces. 

Edinburgh  Beauty. — Vines  strong, 
two  to  two  and  a  half  feet  high.  Each 
seed  usually  sends  up  two  main  stalks, 
each  of  which  branches  freely.  There 
are  often  50  pods  from  a  single  s.eed. 
Almost  invariably  two  pods  to  every 
fruit  stem — i.e.,  the  pods  are  borne  in 
pairs.  Peas  (seeds)  of  large  size.  They 
are  darker  when  cooked  and  not  quite 
as  sweet  as  the  next — inferior  to  the 
Telephone  or  Telegraph  in  quality. 

July  10th,  200  pods  weighed  30^ 
ounces,  contained  870  seeds  which 
weighed  18 J  ounces.  Considering  the 
height  of  the  vines,  their  wonderful 
fruitfulness,  and  the  large  size  of  the 
peas,  (seeds),  this  is  a  remarkable 
variety. 

Dean's  Dwarf  Marrow. — Vines  very 
strong,  two  to  two  and  a  half  feet  high 
— 15  to  20  pods  to  a  vine.  Small  pods 
for  marrows,  though  lar^'er  than  those 
of  the  Edinburgh  Beauty.  Much 
branching  ;  uniformly  large  seed  ;  often 
two  pods  to  each  peduncle.  When 
cooked  they  are  of  a  very  light  green 
color,  sweet,  but  not  quite  so  tender  as 
Telephone. 

July  10th,  200  pods  weighed  40 
ounces,  contained  1,108  seeds  which 
weighed  24  ounces. 

Carter's  Stratagem. — A  remarkable 
variety.  Vines  very  strong  and  need- 
ing but  a  little  support.  Twenty  pods 
to  a  vine.  The  vine  branches  just 
under  the  surface  of  the  soil,  two  stems 
generally  of  equal  vigor  growing  to  a 
height  of  2  to  2J  feet.  The  pods  are 
generally  borne  singly. 

July  11th,  200  pods  weighed  80 
ounces,  contained  1,420  seeds  which 
weighed  42    ounces.     The   quality   is 


260 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


excellent.  It  will  be  seen  that  this 
gives  the  greatest  number  and  weight 
of  seeds  to  a  pod  as  well  as  the  largest 
pods.  Still,  it  must  not  be  overlooked 
that  whereas  this  averages  but  20  pods 
to  a  vine,  the  Edinburgh  Beauty,  for 
instance,  bears  50. 

Pride  of  the  Market. — Vigorous  vines 
two  feet  high,  branching  laterally  only. 
Notes  as  to  quality  missing. 

July  12th,  200  pods  weighed  64 
ounces,  contained  1,388  seeds  which 
weighed  32  ounces. 

REMARKS. 

What  is  gained  either  to  the  market 
or  home  gardener  by  raising  varieties 
of  peas  that  grow  five  feet  high,  when 
other  kinds  growing  from  two  to  three 
feet  high  will  yield  more  peas  of  as  good 
a  quality  %  Compare,  for  example,  the 
old  and  favorite  Champion  of  England 
with  Carter's  Stratagem. 

Why  should  we  sow  smooth  peas, 
which  are  always  of  inferior  quality, 
when  varieties  of  wrinkled  peas  may 
be  sown,  which  are  of  the  first  quality 
and  will  yield  just  as  well? 

Upon  the  south  half  of  the  pea  test- 
plot,  salt  at  the  rate  of  nine  bushels  to 
the  acre  was  sown  broadcast.  There 
was  no  difierence  in  germination, 
growth  or  yield  that  could  be  dis- 
covered! 


SHOULD  CONCENTRATED  FERTIL- 
IZERS BE  DRILLED  IN  OR  SOWN 
BROADCAST  ? 

If  the  most  rapid  growth  from  seed  is 
desired  the  manures  and  seed  should  be 
drilled  together;  in  this  case,  however, 
the  manure  should  be  confined  to  super- 
phosphate alone,  as  almost  all  other  ar- 
tificial manures  are  injurious  to  very 
young  plants.  Our  turnip  crops  suffer 
greatly  from  a  small  fly,  which  eats  off 
the  leaves  as  they  start  from  the  ground. 
We  mix  the  seed  and  superphosphate 


together,  and  push  the  plant  through  its 
early  stages  with  great  rapidity;  This 
is,  therefore,  a  special  case  for  a  special 
object;  and  for  all  other  cases  I  should 
recommend  sowing  manures  broadcast 
as  evenly  as  possible  over  the  whole 
surface  of  the  soil.  Roots  follow  the 
food.  If  you  place  the  food  in  one  place, 
the  roots  will  concentrate  there,  conse- 
quently they  will  not  have  as  much 
command  of  the  moisture  of  the  soil  as 
they  would  have  if  spread  all  over  the 
soil.  Except,  therefore,  in  the  case  of 
superphosphate  with  turnips  the  whole 
of  our  manure  was  sown  broadcast,  and 
plowed  or  harrowed  into  the  land  before 
the  seed  is  sown.  With  Autumn-sown 
wheat  we  apply  salts  of  ammonia  and 
nitrate  in  the  Spring. — J.  B.  Lawes,  in 
Rural  New  Yorker. 


AMONG  THE  RASPBERRIES 

It  has  been  my  good  fortune  during 
the  present  week  to  enjoy  a  run  through 
two  of  the  leading  small  fruit  nurseries 
and  gardens  in  the  region  near  New 
York  City — those  of  J.  T.  Lovett,  at 
Little  Silver,  N.  J.,  and  Rev.  E.  P. 
Roe,  at  Cornwall-on-the-Hudson. 

The  raspberries,  both  the  red  varie- 
ties and  blackcaps,  were  in  the  height 
of  perfection,  and  it  afforded  an  excel- 
lent opportunity  to  consider  the  merits 
of  the  various  sorts  that  were  growing 
both  in  the  nursery  rows,  and  in  the 
fields  in  which  the  pickers  were  at 
work.  I  was  particularly  pleased  with 
the  "exhibition  plats"  which  were 
found  at  Mr.  Roe's  place.  Here  the 
different  varieties,  old  and  new,  were 
brought  together  side  by  side  in  short 
rows,  and  under  the  same  circumstances 
of  soil  and  culture  they  offered  an  accu- 
rate and  rapid  means  of  comparing  and 
contrasting  the  varieties  At  a  glance, 
the  comparative  vigor  of  the  canes  can 
be  seen,  and  the  relative  production  of 
the  kinds,  size  of  berries,  color,  &c.,  as 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


261 


they  stand  side  by  side  are  very  evident. 
This  method  of  testing  the  varieties 
cannot  be  too  highly  recommended,  and 
each  grower  of  small  fruit  stock  sliould 
have  a  portion  of  his  ground  devoted 
to  this  experimental  work. 

Among  the  blackcaps  that  looked  the 
most  promi^in^  was  the  Centennial 
Black,  an  early  variety  and  one  of  the 
best,  the  quality  being  fine  and  well 
suited  for  marketing.  The  Seehauken 
is  one  of  the  new  comers,  and  has  the 
important  point  of  being  early,  in 
quality  it  is  not  far  from  the  old  F)oo- 
httle.  The  Mammoth  Cluster  was  in 
its  prime  with  its  full  clusters  of  large 
plump  berries.  This  variety  comes 
very  close  to  the  Gregg,  which  is  quite 
generally  accepted  as  leading  in  the 
race  of  the  blackcaps.  The  Gregg  is 
somewhat  larger  than  the  Mammoth 
Cluster,  has  more  bloom  upon  the 
berries,  but  in  productiveness,  quality, 
and  fitness  for  marketing — that  is  firm- 
ness— there  is  no  great  difierence.  One 
could  not  go  amiss  by  selecting  the 
Centennial  Black  for  the  early  sort,  and 
the  Gregg  for  later  fruiting. 

At  Mr.  Lovett's  I  found  the  pickers 
doing  a  profitable  business  among  the 
Turners — one  of  the  vigoro\is  varieties 
of  the  red  sorts,  bearing  an  abundance 
of  fruit  of  good  flavor,  though  lacking 
in  firmness,  and  therefore  needing  care 
in  marketing.  The  Reliance  is  also  a 
vigorous  grower,  very  productive,  and 
the  dark  berries  are  of  more  than  aver- 
age quality.  Its  growing  near  the 
Belle  de  Fontenay  (or  Henrietta)  made 
a  comparison  between  the  two  easy, 
and  the  differences  are  far  from  strik- 
ing. The  Herstine  is  one  of  the  earliest 
of  the  reds,  and  being  quite  soft  is  unfit 
for  marketing,  but  one  of  the  best 
varieties  for  family  use,  to  be  eaten  as 
soon  as  picked.  Mr.  Roe  had  the  Chris- 
tine, a  new  sort  which  is  very  late,  a 
few  of  the  most  forward  berries  being 


ripe.  It  was  not  a  fair  trial,  but  the 
tiavor  of  those  tasted  was  not  equal  to 
some  of  the  others. 

The  berry,  of  all  the  varieties  of  red 
raspberries,  is  undoubtedly  the  Cuth- 
bert,  it  having  so  many  of  the  import- 
ant qualities  of  this  small  fruit.  The 
vines  are  wonderfully  vigorous,  stand- 
ing far  above  all  its  competitors  in  the 
"  experimental  plat,"  and  very  produc- 
tive. The  berries  are  large,  and  what 
is  of  most  value  in  a  money  point  of 
view,  they  are  firm,  making  it  suitable 
for  shipping  to  a  considerable  distance. 
The  quality  of  the  berry  is  high,  and 
withal,  the  Cuthbert  must  stand  at  the 
head,  purely  on  its  merits.  The  Pat- 
rican  is  a  larger  berry  than  the  Cuth- 
bert— in  fact  it  is  the  largest  of  the 
"  reds."  It  being  something  quite  new, 
more  time  must  be  given  it  before  its 
place  can  be  assigned.  From  the  ^dgor 
of  the  vines,  the  large  size  of  the  berries, 
its  productiveness — to  judge  from  the 
few  canes  which  were  seen — and  fine- 
ness and  flavor  of  the  fruit,  this  variety 
will  stand  high.  Its  origin  is  not 
known. 

Of  the  light-coloured  varieties,  tlie 
Brinckle's  Orange  is  still  the  type  of 
excellence  among  all  raspberries. .  Next 
to  it,  among  those  of  the  same  shade  of 
color,  comes  the  Florence,  it  being  a 
profuse  bearer,  and  the  fruit  rich  in 
flavor  and  fair  to  look  upon. — Country 
Gentleman. 

Fertilizers  for  House  Plants. — 
When  plants  are  in  a  growing  state  they 
may  be  stimulated  by  the  use  of  guano 
water.  A  small  teacupful  of  Peruvian 
guano  dissolved  in  a  pailful  of  rain  water 
is  strong  enough  ;  water  the  soil  with  this 
once,  or  at  most  twice  a  week.  The  Water 
of  Ammonia  (Hartshorn)  of  the  shops  is 
about  as  good,  and  can  be  had  everywhere. 
If  of  ordinary  strength  add  a  fourth  of  an 
ounce  (two  teaspoonfuls)  to  a  gallon  of 
water,  and  use  as  above  stated. — American 
Agricvlturist. 


262 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


TREE  PLANTING. 

This  is  a  good,  old-fashioned  ex- 
pression that  all  may  understand,  but 
is  it  high-toned  enough  to  suit  the 
advance  of  to-day  1  No  !  not  by  a 
great  deal.  It  must  be  called  Forestry, 
to  coincide  with  modern  taste  and 
fashion.  So  let  it  be,  say  all  the  truly 
interested,  for  though  the  mere  planting 
of  a  tree,  or  even  of  a  row  of  trees,  or 
of  an  avenue  along  the  public  highway, 
be  but  a  small  beginning  of  the  art  of 
forestry,  still  it  is  a  beginning,  and  so 
are  the  institution  of  an  Arbor-Day  by 
State  authority,  and  the  planting  of 
memorial  trees  upon  that  or  upon  any 
other  suitable  day. 

The  setting-out  of  a  little  tree  by 
every  child  connected  with  our  glorious 
common  schools,  either  upon  the  school 
lot,  at  their  homes,  in  the  parks,  or  on 
the  public  highway,  cannot  fail  to  exert 
a  most  happy  influence  upon  the  indivi- 
dual and  upon  the  community  where  it 
is  practiced.  The  child  (who  is  father 
to  the  man)  thus  learns  to  love  and 
respect  these  noble  .representatives  of 
the  vegetable  kingdom.  Those  who 
have  witnessed  the  planting  of,  or  after- 
ward enjoyed  the  comfort  and  pleasure 
afforded  by,  these  shade-trees,  though 
never  before  appreciating  these  objects 
either  in  their  financial,  economic,  sani- 
tary, or  aesthetic  aspects,  are  now  obliged 
at  least  to  pause  in  their  career  of  indif- 
ference, or  perhaps  even  of  destructive 
feelings  toward  trees.  The  establish- 
ment of  tree  planting  societies  and 
village  improvement  associations  can- 
not fail  to  benefit  all  those  who  are 
engaged  in  them,  and  the  general  public 
reaps  the  benefit  of  their  efforts  to 
embellish  and  improve  the  country. 

Many  thousands  of  people  in  the 
State  of  Ohio  were  induced  to  plant 
roadside  trees  in  consequence  of  the 
Governor's  proclamation  making  Arbor- 
Day   a  public  holiday,   and   this   was 


suggested  by  those  who  were  making 
arrangements  for  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Forestry  Congress  at  Cincinnati,  which 
instituted  the  extensive  planting  of 
Presidential,  Pioneer,  Heroic,  Authors', 
Teachers',  and  other  groves  on  the 
beautiful  hilltops  of  Eden  Park — within 
the  city  limits.  Every  child  who  par- 
ticipated upon  that  occasion,  or  who 
aided,  and  witnessed  the  tree  planting  in 
the  school-house  lots  scattered  through 
the  country,  and  along  many  of  the 
thoroughfares,  may  thus  have  been  made 
an  incipient  forester,  and  will  at  least 
have  learned  to  look  upon  a  tree  with 
increased  respect.  In  many  of  the 
country  school  lots  the  trees  bear  the 
names  of  the  pupils  who  planted  them. 

Though  not  forestry,  all  these  efforts 
have  their  use,  and  they  exert  a  most 
happy  influence  upon  the  people  by 
directing  their  attention  to  the  subject. 
They  help  to  familiarize  us  with  trees ; 
they  direct  our  attention  to  the  great 
subject  of  true  forestr}^,  and  thus  become 
valuable  means  of  making  the  people 
better  acquainted  with  the  possibilities 
of  the  forestal  wealth  which  should 
exist  in  our  country. 

In  a  large  portion  of  our  land  nature 
has  already  provided  us  a  most  noble 
heritage  of  trees,  many  of  them  of  great 
value,  and  only  after  these  had  been 
removed,  and  the  native  woodlands  were 
robbed  of  their  most  valuable  numbers, 
do  we,  the  immediate  descendants  of 
the  wood-chopping,  timber-destroying 
pioneers — only  then  do  we  begin  to 
realize  our  loss  and  to  think  of  the 
absolute  necessity  for  restoring  the 
forests. 

There  are  so  many  solid  and  substan- 
tial reasons  for  the  conservation  and, 
where  necessary,  the  replanting  of  areas 
of  woodlands,  it  is  surprising  that  so 
intelligent  a  people  as  we  proudly  boast 
ourselves  to  be,  should  have  allowed 
the  country  to  reach  the  very  verge  of 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


263 


destitution  before  attempting  to  restore 
the  woodlands. — Dr.  John  A.  Warder, 
in  Rural  New  Yorker. 


SMALL  FRUITS  FOR  THE  FARMER'S 
TABLE. 

The  established  fact  that  the  cultiva- 
tion of  small  fruits  is  neglected  to  so 
great  an  extent  by  farmers  as  a  class, 
seems  the  more  difficult  to  understand 
when,  with  so  little  effort  oar  tables  can 
be  supplied  with  an  abundance  of  the 
choicest  and  the  best.  But  instead, 
many,  if  not  a  majority  of  farmers,  in 
possession  of  hundreds  of  acres,  seem 
content  with  a  few  of  the  native  sorts 
that  can  be  gleaned  from  the  fence 
comers,  by-ways  &c.,  when  a  few  plants 
of  some  of  the  tried  and  popular  varie- 
ties planted  near  at  hand  would  furnish 
an  ample  supply  for  a  large  family 
during  the  entire  season.  My  unpre- 
tentious one  hundred  Gregg  ras})berry 
plants,  ordered  from  a  reliable  and 
trustworthy  nurseryman,  and  planted 
one  year  ago  last  spring,  have  afforded 
us  a  liberal  allowance  for  the  table^ 
canning  purposes,  tkc,  besides  supplying 
the  wants  of  many  of  our  neighbors. 
The  bushes,  when  heavily  laden  with 
rich  and  luscious  berries,  were  greatly 
admired  by  all,  the  ladies  particularly 
being  enthusiastic  in  their  praise,  all 
expressing  their  determination  to  en- 
deavor to  have  plants  set  the  coming 
spring.  And  when  we  consider  that 
it  is  but  little  more  trouble  to  plant 
and  cultivate  a  row  of  berry  })ushes, 
than  one  of  corn  or  potatoes,  it  seems 
all  the  more  unaccountable  that  so 
many  farmers  are  loth  to  engage  in  the 
cultivation  of  these  smaller  fruits  that 
afford  so  many  luxuries  and  conduce  to 
so  great  an  extent  to  the  happiness  and 
health  of  the  family. 

One  of  our  largest  and  most  success- 


ful farmers,  after  having  driven  nearly 
three  miles,  expressed  great  disappoint- 
ment at  my  not  being  able  to  furnish 
him  with  the  three  or  four  quarts  re- 
quired for  the  tea-table,  while  threshing, 
when  a  row  of  Gregg's  skirting  one  side 
of  his  garden,  would  have  furnished  an 
abundance  that  the  ladies  could  have 
picked  at  their  leisure,  while  with  a 
liberal  sandwiching  of  the  red  Cuth- 
berts,  they  could  have  been  made  even 
more  palatable.  Let  us  then  plant 
liberally  of  these  smaller  fruits  that 
will  tend  so  much  to  lessen  the  care 
and  anxiety  of  those  who  aie  expected 
to  furnish  a  variety  for  the  table  three 
times  each  of  the  three  hundred  and 
sixty-five  days  of  the  year. — Irving  D. 
Clark,  in  Rural  Home. 


LITERARY  NOTES. 

The  Ladies  Floral  Cabinet,  New 
York  ($1.25  per  annum),  in  its  October 
issue  presents  some  choice  reading  for 
lovers  of  flowers.  It  opens  with  a 
timely  editorial  on  '*  Annuals,"  followed 
by  another  on  "  Soils,"  both  of  which 
must  command  attention.  The  full 
page  illustration  of  that  singular  plant, 
the  "  Stenotaphron,"  will  attract  atten- 
tion from  those  who  enjoy  rare  thin^^s 
in  the  plant  world.  The  recent  success 
with  out-of-door  blooming  of  the  "  Vic- 
toria Regia,"  gives  fresh  interest  to  the 
article  on  that  wonderful  Water  Lily 
and  numerous  minor  ai-ticles  amply 
repay  those  who  seek  imfonnation  re- 
garding the  progress  being  made  in 
floriculture.  The  literaiy  and  house- 
hold departments  are  not  by  any  means 
neglected,  and  have  fresh  and  bright,  as 
well  as  useful  articles.  Several  illus- 
trations brighten  the  beautifully  printed 
pages.  The  new  management  certainly 
are  "  pushing  "  things  in  the  interests 
of  their  readei-s,  giving  more  matter 
and  better  than  ever,  in  tho  long  career 
of  this  popular  "  Home  Companion." 


264 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


MORNING  GLORIES. 

BY   FRANCIS  D.  GAGE. 

They  said,  "  don't  plant  them,  mother,  they're   so 

common  and  so  poor," 
But  of  seeds  I  had  no  other,  so  I  dropped  them  by 

the  door  ; 
And  they  soon  were  brightly  growing  in  the  rich  and 

teeming  soil. 
Stretching  upward,  upward,  upward,  to  reward  me 

for  my  toil. 

They  grew  all  o'er  the  casement,  and  they  wreathed 

around  the  door, 
All  about  the  chamber  windows,  upward,  upward, 

evermore  ; 
And  each  dawn,  in  glowing  beauty,  glistening;  in  the 

early  dew, 
Is  the  house  all  wreathed  in  splendor,  every  morning 

bright  and  new. 

What  if  they  close  at  midday,  'tis  because  their  work 

is  done. 
And  they  shut  their  crimson  petals  from  the  kisses  of 

the  sun, 
Teaching  every  day  their  lesson  to  my  weary,  panting 

soul, 
To  be  faithful  in  well-doing,  stretching  upward  for 

the  goal. 

Sending  out  the  climbing  tendrils,  trusting  God  for 

strength  and  power. 
To  support,  and  aid  and  comfort,  in  the  trying  day 

and  hour. 
Never  spurn  the  thing  that's  common,  nor  call  these 

home  flowers  poor. 
For  each  hath  a  holy  mission,  like  my  Glory  o'er  the 

door.— Selected. 


DOMESTIC  RECIPES. 

Fly  Poison.— Boil  one-quarter  of  an 
ounce  of  small  chips  of  quassia  in  one 
pint  of  water  ;  add  four  ounces  of  mo- 
lasses. Flies  like  it,  and  it  will  destroy 
them. 

Bretrogt  Pickles — Simmer  the  root, 
till  about  one-third  cooked  (from  one  and 
a  half  to  two  and  a  half  hours)  ;  take  out 
and  peel,  and  cut  in  thin  slices.  Place 
in  again,  and  pour  on  sufficient  cold  spiced 
vinegar,  made  as  above,  to  cover  them. 

Chloride  of  Limb,  when  used  as  a  dis- 
infectant aboTit  the  rooms  of  a  house, 
should  be  dissolved  in  water— one  pound 
to  three  gallons  of  water.  Sprinkle  on 
the  floor  or  bed-clothes,  as  it  will  not 
color.  Infected  clothing  should  be  dip- 
ped in  it. 

Pickled  Onions.— Let  the  onions  lie  in 
strong  salt  and  water  for  two  weeks,  take 
out  and  peel  ;  put  in  a  fresh  batch  of  salt 
and  water  for  two  weeks  longer  ;  then 
wash  clean  and  let  lie  in  fresh  water  over 


night.  Next  day  drain  them  well,  put  in 
a  jar  and  pour  over  the  lot  spiced  vinegar. 
White  vinegar  gives  them  the  nicest 
color. 

Bean  Pickles. — One  of  the  most  deli- 
cious pickles  one  can  have  at  this  time  of 
year  may  be  made  in  this  way,  and  they 
will  be  ready  for  immediate  use  :  String 
the  beans  as  for  table  use,  and  place  them 
in  boiling  Avater,  salting  to  taste.  Let 
them  remain  until  well  scalded,  not  cook- 
ed, drain  them  off  and  place  in  cold  vine- 
gar. Add  spices  if  you  like.  Let  the 
beans  remain  in  the  vinegar  till  well  cool- 
ed, when,  if  the  vinegar  be  good  and 
strong,  they  are  ready  for  use.  They  are 
tender  and  delicious. 

Spiced  Vinegar  for  Pickles. — The 
following  is  an  old  and  good  receipt  : 
Bruise  in  a  mortar  two  ounces  of  black 
pepper,  one  ounce  of  ginger,  one-half 
ounce  of  allspice,  and  one  ounce  of  salt. 
If  a  hotter  pickle  is  desired,  add  half  a 
drachm  of  cayenne,  or  a  few  capsicums. 
Put  these  in  a  stone  jar,  with  a  quart  of 
vinegar,  and  cover  with  a  bladder  wetted 
with  the  pickle,  and  over  this  a  piece  of 
leather.  Of  course  any  way  of  covering 
equally  tight  will  answer.  Set  the  jar 
near  the  fire  for  three  days,  shaking  it 
three  times  a  day.  To  save  time  it  is 
usual  to  simmer  the  vinegar  gently  with 
the  spices,  which  is  best  done  in  an  enam- 
eled saucepan. 

A  Fruit  House. — An  Illinois  horticul- 
turist has  constructed  a  fruit  house  which 
is  to  be  a  protection  alike  from  Summer's 
heat  and  Winter's  cold.  Two  rows  of 
posts  are  set  in  the  ground,  two  and  a 
half  feet  apart,  boarded  up  inside  and 
out,  and  the  intervening  space  filled  with 
straw,  packed  in  as  closely  as  possible. 
Two  sets  of  rafters  ai'e  then  put  on,  th^ 
upper  set  three  feet  above  the  lower, 
which  are  boarded  on  the  under  side  and 
the  space  closely  packed  witli  straw,  after 
which  a  cheap  board  roof  is  put  on.  On 
the  11th  of  last  August,  with  the  tem- 
perature 98  in  the  sliade,  it  was  as  cold 
as  an  ice-house,  and  contained  a  quantity 
of  apples  as  sound  as  when  taken  from 
the  trees  10  months  before. 


PRINTKD  AT  THE  STEAM  PRE88  RSTABMSHMENT  OF  CtltT,  CLARK  k  CO.,  COLBORNE  STRKKT.  TORONTO. 


THE 


I^ttlttt! 


VOL.  v.] 


DECEMBER,  1882. 


[No.  12. 


K  O  S  E  S 


It  will  be  remembered  that  the 
Directors  have  offered  a  rose  plant  to 
those  who  prefer  to  receive  it  as  one 
of  the  articles  to  be  sent  to  our  sub- 
scribers in  tJie  Spring ;  and  so,  by  way 
of  reminder,  this  number  brings  to  its 
readers  a  beautiful  colored  plate  of 
this  beautiful  flower. 

Fortunately  there  is  no  need  that 
we  tell  of  the  beauty  of  the  rose. 
Every  one  treasures  bright  visions  of 
them,  mingled  with  memories,  and 
intertwined  with  associations  that  give 
a  lustre  or  a  mellowness  to  their 
beauty,  awakening  at  the  very  thought 
of  them  emotions  of  pleasure.  Every 
one  admii-es  the  rose  ;  every  one  would 
grow  the  rose.  But  it  is  not  every 
one  who  grows  the  rose  that  grows 
roses.  Success  in  this,  as  in  all  else, 
is  the  outcome  of  a  love  that  ever 
burns  but  never  consumes.  Down, 
deep  down  in  the  innermost  depths  of 
the  heart,  it  is  ever  glowing.  The 
snows  of  winter  may  wrap  the  rose 
trees  with  their  fro.'Jty  mantle,  but  no 
chill  reaches  that  love ;  nothing  can 
ever  damp  its  ardor.  Tenderly  the 
true  lover  waits  on  his  Queen  with  un- 
tiring constancy ;  none  the  less  when 
come  the  autumn  days,  with  the  sere 


and  yellow  leaf,  than  when  she  is  just 
budding  into  beauty,  or  glowing  in  all 
the  splendor  of  queenly  majesty.  To 
those  who  can  thus  care  for  her,  anti- 
cif)ate  her  needs  and  guard  her  from 
danger,  she  comes  forth  in  all  her  love- 
liness. As  an  eminent  English  culti- 
vator has  tersely  expressed  it,  "  he 
who  would  have  beautiful  roses  in  his 
garden  must  have  beautiful  roses  in 
his  heart." 

Much  has  been  written  on  the  culti- 
vation of  roses  that  needs  to  be  modi- 
lied  somewhat  to  meet  the  peculiarities 
of  our  Canadian  climate ;  hence  a  few 
hints  are  here  given  that  it  is  hoped 
may  be  of  some  value  to  our  readers, 
inasmuch  as  they  are  the  results  of 
some  years  of  experience  in  growing 
the  rose. 

Select  for  the  rose  garden  a  spot 
that  is  sheltered  from  the  sweep  of 
the  winds,  yet  not  too  near  to  grow- 
ing tiees,  lest  their  roots  rob  the  roses. 
If  it  be  practicable,  let  groups  of  ever- 
gi'(>pns  break  the  force  of  the  winds, 
and  temper  their  fury. 

Mulch  the  gi*ound  with  a  liberal 
hand  both  summer  and  winter ;  thus 
will  the  roots  be  protected  from  mid- 


266 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


summer  heat  and  winter's  frosts,  and 
the  ground  be  enriched  and  kept  moist. 

A  clayey  loam  that  is  well  drained 
and  well  enriched  is  most  congenial  to 
the  rose.  Keep  the  bed  well  enriched 
by  a  liberal  supply  of  fertilizers,  in 
which  ground  bone  may  play  a  con- 
spicuous part.  Sods  gathered  from  an 
old  pasture,  and  composted  with  man- 
ure from  the  cow-stable,  make  an  ex- 
cellent top  dressing. 

The  ground  should  be  kept  loose 
and  friable  and  entirely  free  from 
weeds.  Frequent  stirring  during  the 
growing  season  is  very  important, 
whether  weeds  have  made  their  ap- 
pearance or  not,  unless  the  ground  is 
kept  moist  and  friable  by  an  abundant 
mulch. 

In  winter  protect  the  plants  with 
evergreen  boughs  thrust  into  the  ground 
around  them.  This  will  prevent  the 
sun  from  injuring  them  by  its  strong 
shining  after  severe  freezing. 


THE  BURNET  GRAPE. 

I  think  there  need  be  no  fears  as  to 
the  success  of  the  Burnet  grape  in  this 
section  of  country.  My  vine  has 
fruited  two  seasons.  This  fall  I  counted 
66  well  developed  bunches,  some  of 
them  weighed  over  12  ozs.  each.  All 
ripened  evenly  and  not  a  sign  of 
mildew,  vine  vigorous  and  healthy. 
Last  year  I  kept  the  fruit  till  the 
middle  of  January  without  the  least 
difficulty.  T  consider  the  Burnet  and 
Lindley  the  two  finest  flavored  grapes 
in  my  varied  collection.  Some  varieties 
mildewed  badly  this  season.  The  Onta- 
rio is  doing  well,  also  the  Gladioli 
you  sent  out  flowered  finely.  The 
raspberry  never  grew. 


The  Walte7%  Brighton,  Salem,  Wilder, 
Agawam,  and  many  other  fine  kinds  of 
grapes,  do  well  around  Brockville. 

D.  V.  Beacock. 

Brockville,  Oct.  27,  1882. 


THE  WORDEN  GRAPE. 

This  is  another  very  hardy,  vigorous 
and  productive  black  grape,  ripening  a 
few  days  before  the  Concord,  and  by 
very  many  good  judges  esteemed  to  be 
of  better  quality  than  that  very  popular 
and  well-known  variety.  It  does  not 
ripen  so  early  as  the  grape  sent  to  our 
subscribers  last  spring,  Moore's  Early, 
but  will  come  in  a  few  days  after,  and 
ripen  in  localities  where  the  (Joncord 
hardly  makes  out  to  get  ripe.  It  is 
said  to  be  a  seedling  of  the  Concord, 
which  it  very  much  resembles  in  form 
and  size  of  both  bunch  and  berry. 

The  opportunity  is  given  to  sub- 
scribers to  the  Canadian  Horticulturist, 
who  would  like  to  plant  a  good,  hardy 
and  early-ripening  grape,  to  make  trial 
of  the  Worden  without  cost,  and  from 
our  own  acquaintance  with  it  we  would 
certainly  expect  that  those  who  plant  it 
will  find  it  a  very  valuable  variety. 

Every  year  is  giving  us  some  new 
varieties  of  grapes,  many  of  them  of 
superior  quality,  and  some  of  them 
ripening  so  early  as  to  be  specially 
valuable  in  our  climate.  Not  very  long 
ago  the  only  gra})e  we  had  was  the 
Isabella,  now  we  liave  so  many  that 
one  is  embarrassed  by  the  very  great- 
ness of  the  variety  from  which  to  choose, 
each  having  some  peculiar  quality  of  its 
own  which  commends  it  to  the  planter. 
Even  the  Champion  or  Beaconsfield, 
poor  as  it  is  in  quality,  has  a  constitu- 
tion so  hardy,  healthy  and  vigorous 
that  it  will  be  planted  by  many  in  our 
rigorous  latitudes  as  much  better  than 
none. 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


2(57 


WORDEN  GRAPE. 


268 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


THE  NIAGARA  RASPBERRY. 
This  new  raspberry,  which  is  offered 
to  the  subscribers  to  the  Canadian 
Horticulturist,  if  they  prefer  to  give  it 
a  trial,  is  one  that  was  raised  by  one  of 
the  Directors  of  the  Fruit-growers' 
Association,  Mr.  A.  M.  Smith,  of  St. 
Catharines.  The  plant  is  a  strong 
grower,  and  apparently  hardy.  It 
endured  unharmed  the  severe  winter  of 
1880-81  ;  but  was  somewhat  injured 
durinc:  the  much  milder  winter  of 
1881-82.  The  berry  is  large,  consid- 
erably larger  than  the  Philadelphia; 
dark  red  in  color,  in  this  respect  much 
resembling  that  berry,  though  not 
quite  as  dark.  It  is  a  much  firmer 
berry  than  the  Clarke,  and  ripens  a 
week  later  than  that  variety.  In  pro- 
ductiveness it  a|)proaches  very  closely 
to  the  Philadelphia.  It  does  not  ripen 
up  its  crop  all  at  one  time,  but  continues 
to  yield  rijje  fruit  for  a  consideral)]o 
length  of  time,  thus  making  it  a  valua- 
ble variety  for  domestic  use.  The 
flavor  of  this  variety  is  excellent,  being 
considerably  in  advance  of  the  Phila- 
delphia in  this  respect.  It  is  only  b}^ 
actual  experiment  of  planting  it  in 
different  sections  of  the  country  that 
its  adaptability  to  our  climate  can  be 
fully  ascertained. 

THE  PEONIA. 
Few  persons  seem  to  be  aware  how 
great  a  variety  of  color  and  form  there 
is  in  these  most  showy  flowers — at  least 
this  conclusion  is  forced  upon  us  from 
the  fact  that  one  so  seldom  sees  them 
growing  in  the  gardens  of  our  flower- 
loving  peoi)le.  Yet,  of  all  our  herba- 
ceous flowering  plants  none  are  more 
hardy,  none  better  suited  to  our  climate, 
none  cultivated  with  more  ease,  and 
none  make  a  more  brilliant  display 
when  in  bloom.  The  'Peonia  adapts 
itself  most  readily  to  all  soils,  and  will 
bear  neglect  and  abuse  as  uncomplain- 
ingly as  a  Pie-plant  root. 


After  having  been  planted  they  will 
thrive  and  bloom  best  if  allowed  to  re- 
main undisturbed  for  several  years, 
receiving  in  autumn  a  good  top-dress- 
ing of  well  rotted  manure  to  encourage 
their  growth  and  improve  the  size  and 
beauty  of  their  blooms.  The  flowers 
are  for  the  most  part  pleasantly  scented, 
many  of  them  having  a  very  decided 
rose-like  odor.  The  colors  vary  from  a 
very  dark  purplish  crimson  to  pure 
white ;  some  are  white  marked  with 
occasional  streaks  of  carmine,  some  are 
of  a  deep,  rich  rose,  others  white  with 
a  light  cream -colored  centre,  or  a  light 
pui-plish  rose,  or  having  the  outer  petals 
of  one  color  and  the  inner  petals  of 
another  color.  The  flowers  are  all 
double,  and  very  beautiful. 

The  subscribers  to  the  Canadian 
Ilortumlturist  have  the  privilege  of 
receiving  a  Peonia  root  next  spring  if 
they  wish  as  the  premium  plant,  which 
will  give  them  an  opportunity  of  giving 
ic  a  trial. 

THE  FRUIT  SEASON  OF  1882. 

P    E.  BVJCKE,  OTTAWA. 

The  past  season  has  been  anything 
but  a  successful  one  for  fruit-growlers. 
In  the  eastern  part  of  the  Province  the 
sti'awberry  plants  were  badly  heaved 
out  by  the  wet  spring,  and  were  conse- 
quently much  damaged  by  frost.  Nei- 
ther the  currants  nor  the  raspberries 
gave  their  accustomed  yield.  Even  the 
gra})e  vines  did  not  produce  their  aver- 
age clusters  of  rich  fruit ;  and  what 
tliey  did  bear  were  late  in  ripening,  or 
did  not  i-ipt^n  ;it  all.  The  apple  crop 
was  a  good  avnagc  for  this  section; 
any  trees  growing  gave  good  resvilts. 
Mr.  John  Conn,  of  Kemptville,  is  go- 
ing largely  into  ironclad  fruit  trees, 
and  has  a  fine  young  orchard  coming 
into  bearing.  He  is  thus  enabled  to 
show  purchasers  what  they  may  expect 
by  pui-chasing  trees  at  his  nurseries. 
Appearances  would  indicate   that  the 


THE   CANADIA.V    IloRTICULTUinST. 


2C9 


Ottawa  will  eventually  become  a  fruit- 
producing  region.  Some  fine  orchards 
are  also  being  set  out  at  Como,  forty 
miles  down  the  Ottawa  River  from  the 
Canadian  capital ;  and  more  trees  are 
heiw^  planted  about  Ottawa  itself.  In- 
dications shov\'  that  the  area  planted 
with  apples  during  next  spring  will  be 
(^uite  large.  The  despised  Champion 
Grape  came  in  handy  and  early ;  one 
grower  sold  his  first  cutting  of  this  va- 
riety at  25  cents  per  ]>ound  1  Vine- 
yards on  all  hands  are  on  the  increase. 
Many  are  cultivating  vines  who  never 
gi*ew  them  before,  and  those  who  have 
them  are  planting  more ;  so  that  our 
cold,  backward  season  does  not  appear 
to  have  entirely  damped  the  ardor  of 
vineyardists.  It  is  time,  earlier  vari- 
eties are  being  sought  after.  I  noticed 
a  new  candidate  at  the  Kingston  Exhi- 
bition for  public  favor,  in  the  shape  of 
the  Jessica,  and  purchased  some  vines. 
It  is  a  white  grape,  or  rather  a  dull 
shade  of  green  ;  not  large,  but  bigger 
than  the  Delaware,  and  said  to  ripen 
in  the  open  air  early  in  September.  Its 
earliness  is  its  great  attraction.  It  is 
for  sale  by  the  esteemed  Secretary  of 
the  Fruit  Growers'  Association,  B.  W". 
Beadle,  who,  I  understand  controls  the 
market  in  this  variety.  One  small 
orchard  exclusively  of  Alexanders,  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  city,  was  a 
beautiful  sight  during  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember ;  their  fine  size  and  bright  red 
color  quite  took  the  eye  of  the  be- 
holder. Mr.  Johnson  Brown  was  the 
grower  of  this  fine  fruit,  and  no  doubt 
made  large  profits  on  his  venture. 


Also,  that  Ch((rh)tUntJuder,  which  lu^ 
has  lately  fruited,  is  only  another  name 
for  the  same  fruit. 


TWO  RUSSIAN  APPLES  PROVE  TO 
BE  ONE. 

Doctor  Hoskins,  of  Vermont,  writes 
to  the  Rural  New  Yorker^  that  after 
testing  Grand  Sultan  and  Yellow 
Transparent  for  a  number  of  years, 
he  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
there  is  no  difference  between  them. 


TRANSPLANTING  RASPBEKPvIES. 

p.  E.  BUCKE,  OTTAWA. 

A  couple  of  years  ago  the  trans- 
plantation of  raspberries  was  recom- 
mended in  August,  when  the  young 
plants  were  in  full  leaf  This  para- 
graph was  copied  into  a  large  number 
of  papers,  and  was  eventually  sent  me 
by  a  friend  all  the  way  from  California. 
Further  experiments  this  year  in  the 
direction  of  early  planting  revealed  the 
fact  that  July  is  a  better  month  than 
August ;  and  in  future  the  writer  will 
make  his  plantations  in  June  if  the 
plants  are  to  be  had  from  tJiree  to  four 
inches  high.  Every  one  knows  who 
has  tried  it  that  late  autumn  or  spring 
planting,  cutting  the  canes  to  four  or 
six  inches  long,  does  not  result  in  a 
good  plant  the  first  bearing  year  :  the 
canes  are  branchy,  and  as  a  rule  not 
very  strong.  But  by  the  early  system 
of  moving  plants,  a  good  cane  is  ob- 
tained the  first  year,  and  the  following 
one  a  good  supply  of  fruit,  thus  gain- 
ing almost  two  years  on  the  old  sys- 
tem.    Try  it. 

Aging  of  Wine  by  Electricity.—  If 
an  electric  current  is  passed  through  new 
wine  the  same  is  said  to  acquire  the  pro- 
perties and  characteristics  of  old  wine  in 
a  few  days. — Journal  Vinicole. 

Striped  Bugs. — A  strong  solution  of 
tobacco  water  will  drive  the  striped  bug 
away  from  melon  vines  and  the  small  flea 
from  young  cabbage  plants.  I  have  found 
it  an  unfailing  remedy  the  past  four  or 
five  years.  I  apply  it  while  the  sun  is 
shining,  through  a  sprinkler  several  times 
a  day,  until  the  plants  are  coated  with 
the  yellow  solution,  and  rarely  find  it  ne- 
cessary to  repeat  unless  washed  ofi"  by 
rain  ;  the  tobocco  water  is  also  an  excel- 
lent fertilizer,  and  is  worth  using  for  that 
purpose  if  no  other. — J.  K.  S ,  in  Fruit 
Becorder. 


270 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


OAK^LEAVED  MOUNTAIN 
ASH. 

The  growing  taste  for 
ornamental  trees  is  a  very 
gratifying  indication  of 
the  desire  of  our  people 
to  make  their  homes  at- 
tractive. The  time  and 
money  expended  in  plant- 
ing beautiful  trees  and 
shrubs  around  our  rural 
dwellings,  is  repaid  four- 
fold in  the  increased  value 
of  the  property  if  one 
should  ever  wish  to  sell 
it,  and  a  hundredfold  in 
the  added  pleasure,  and 
comfort  too,  of  those  who 
occupy  them. 

In  our  climate  it  is  of 
the  first  importance  that 
the  trees  we  plant  should 
be  of  a  hardy  character, 
that  they  may  be  able  to 
endure   the    extremes    of 
both    heat    and     cold    to     -.^f;w 
which  they  must  be  sub-  ^^0^'^ 
jected.       The    Mountain  'y''^i,„ 
Ash  is  of  such  a  charac-     ''^f[!^^£ 
ter,  not  only  the  Ameri- 
can but    also  the    Euro- 
pean  species ;    indeed,  so 
far  as  we  are  acquainted 
with   them,  all  the  varie- 
ties of  the  Mountain  Ash 
are  exceedingly  hardy,  and 
well  adapted   for  planting 
in  all  parts  of  Ontario. 

The  Oak-leaved  variety 
makes  a  very  pretty,  com- 
pact, medium-sized  tree, 
quite  suitable  for  places  of  moderate 
dimensions.  The  accompanying  en- 
graving shows  its  usual  style  of 
growth.  It  presents  at  all  times  a 
pleasing  appearance,  but  especially  in 
autumn,  in  common  with  both  the 
American  and  European  species,  when 
laden  with  its  clusters  of  bright  scarlet 


OAK-LEAVED  MOUNTAIN  ASH. 

berries.  It  is  usually  propagated  by 
budding  on  the  European  or  American 
Mountain  Ash,  but  can  also  be  suc- 
cessfully worked  by  grafting  upon  the 
apple. 

There  is  also  a  dwarf  and  a  weeping 
Mountain  Ash,  both  of  which  make 
handsome  lawn  trees. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


271 


LAWNS 

AS  PREPARED  AND  KEPT  ON  THE  GOVERNMRNT 
GROUNDS,  OTTAWA. 

Much  has  been  written  on  tlie  sub- 
ject of  the  best  methods  of  preparing 
for  lawns  and  keeping  them  ;  mine  is 
nothing  new.  Having  proved  so  suc- 
cessful, many  inquiries  are  made  what 
has  constituted  my  success,  under  so 
unfavorable  circumstances,  and  as  they 
are  always  a  very  noticeable  feature  by 
visitors,  1  give  you  my  treatment. 

The  position  and  material  on  which 
they  are  could  hardly  be  worse,  stand- 
ing high  above  all  other  surroundings, 
exposed  to  every  gale,  without  any 
shelter,  mostly  excavated  from  the 
rock,  no  fresh  soil  having  been  drawn 
to  them  ;  what  was  found  on  them  was 
so  mixed  up  with  the  refuse  from  the 
buildings  in  their  construction,  such  as 
sandstone  cuttings  and  other  material, 
as  to  be  almost  unfit  for  such  a  purpose. 

In  the  excavation,  great  care  had  to 
be  taken  of  the  soil  found  on  them  j 
of  it  I  made  three  sorts,  putting  the 
first  and  second  qualities  into  separate 
piles,  and  the  worse  carted  away.  A 
large  portion  of  this  excavation  was 
from  the  solid  rock  over  six  feet  deep, 
taking  nearly  two  years  to  do  it  in, 
which  gave  ample  time  for  sod  and 
such  like  material  as  I  had  in  my  first 
quality  of  soil  to  be  well  rotted. 

In  putting  on  the  soil  I  laid  first  a 
foot  of  second  quality,  finishing  with 
another  foot  of  best.  In  carting  it  on 
I  took  care  that  the  carts  passed  all 
over,  not  allowing  them  to  make  roads, 
so  that  it  would  be  equally  pressed 
down,  so  that  at  the  present  time,  six 
years  since,  there  is  not  the  slightest 
sag  in  any  part  of  it.  When  perfectly 
level  I  put  on  a  heavy  coat  of  well 
rotted  manure  (I  prefer  cow  manure, 
with  no  straw) ;  1  then  gave  it  two 
good  plowiugs,  cross  harrowed  it,  and 
raked  it;    then  I  was   ready  for  the 


grass- seed.  Much  diversity  of  opinion 
here  exists  as  to  when  is  the  best  time 
to  sow  it  J  portions  were  done  four 
different  years,  always  with  the  same 
success.  I  sow  in  the  fall  as  late  as  I 
possibly  can,  so  that  the  seed  will  not 
germinate  till  the  spring.  In  sowing, 
I  have  it  sowed  first  one  way  and 
then  crossed,  being  sure  that  it  is  all 
covered,  using  plenty  of  seed  with  a 
good  share  of  white  clover.  I  make  a 
harrow  of  inch  boards  driving  in  five- 
inch  nails  ;  this  is  drawn  by  a  man  and 
again  cross-harrowed,  and  if  any  small 
stones  should  turn  up  pick  them  up, 
and  give  a  good  roll  with  a  heavy 
hand-roller. 

When  spring  comes,  before  the  frost 
is  out  of  the  ground,  you  will  see  it 
green,  and  will  soon  be  fit  for  the  lawn 
mower.  Now,  as  soon  as  the  mower 
will  catch  it,  continue  this  all  the  sea- 
son, and  by  the  fall  of  the  first  year 
you  will  have  a  lawn  as  close  as  it  is 
possible  to  make  it,  provided  you  use 
plenty  of  water  during  the  warm 
months  ;  never  wait  till  it  begins  to 
show  signs  of  burning  before  you  water 
and  once  get  it  stunted  ;  water  when 
the  appearance  of  dry  weather  sets  in  ; 
it  is  much  easier  to  keep  it  wet  than 
wet  it  after  it  gets  dry. 

I  give  a  good  top-dressing  of  well 
rotted  cow  manure,  with  no  straw  only 
what  is  well  rotted,  taking  care  that 
no  fresh  is  used,  for  you  will  get  weeds 
fast  enough  into  a  lawn  without  that. 
In  the  fall  I  put  on  the  manure  roughly, 
so  as  that  it  will  help  to  catch  the  first 
snow.  In  stopping  mowing  be  sure  to 
leave  a  fair  fleece  of  grass ;  if  too 
much  your  fii-st  mowing  in  the  spring 
will  be  difficult,  if  too  close  you  expose 
the  roots  of  the  gniss.  In  the  spring, 
whilst  the  manure  is  wet,  break  it  all 
as  fine  as  you  cim,  then  rake  ;  this 
manuie  will  not  rake  off*  if  properly 
managed,   only   the  dead  grass ;  after 


272 


THE  CANADIAN  HORTICULTURIST. 


this  pa5?s  a  heavy  roller  drawn  by  a  Ijorse 
with  boots  on,  or  a  heavy  hand  one. 

These  lawns  are  just  as  green  in  the 
middle  of  summer  as  in  the  early 
spring.  They  have  been  during  that 
time,  six  years,  mowed  once  a  week  all 
summer,  and  when  vegetation  is  rapid 
twice.  Never,  if  possible,  allow  your 
grass  to  get  so  long  as  to  requii-e  raking 
oif ;  cut  as  short  as  it  will  drop  unseen, 
as  it  will  do  much  to  mulch  and  retain 
moisture. 

In  winter  beware  of  allowing  roads 
to  be  formed  by  foot'passers,  or  other- 
wise, for  if  you  do,  your  grass  is  sure 
to  be  killed  by  the  formation  of  ice,  or 
leave  an  unsightly  track  for  a  portion 
of  the  summer.  If  ice  has  formed  on 
any  part  of  it,  cover  it  up  with  snow  or 
something  else,  for  as  sure  as  the 
sun  strikes  through  this  ice  so  sure 
will  your  grass  be  scalded  out.  Dry 
frosts  early  kills  grass  unless  there  is 
an  over-abundance  of  moisture.  I 
generally  have  snow  taken  from  about 
doors  and  put  on  to  such  places. 

K.  Robertson, 
Su'p't.  Gov't    Orounds,  OUav)a. 


A  SURE  PREVENTIVE  OF  CHICKEN 
CHOLERA. 

Several  experiments  have  been  made 
during  the  last  five  years  by  different 
parties  for  the  purpose  of  preventing 
the  spread  of  chicken  cholera,  by  in- 
oculation or  vaccination.  We  have 
during  the  pa^t  two  years  vaccinated 
the  fowls  in  nineteen  different  yards 
where  the  cholera  was  prevailing  badly, 
and  in  each  yard  we  left  some  common 
fowls  not  vaccinated,  and  they  all  died. 
Out  of  the  2,000  vaccinated  only  eleven 
died,  although  they  were  in  the  same 
yard  with  those  not  vaccinated  that  were 
dying  daily  by  the  scores.  We  have 
every  reason  to  believe  that  this  chicken 
vaccination  is  as  effective  in  preventing 
cholera  among  fowls  as  vaccination  is 


in  preventing  smallpox  among  the 
human  family.  Vaccinate  a  hen  and 
in  eight  days  its  system  will  be  thor- 
oughly inoculated,  then  cut  off  her 
head,  and  catch  all  the  blood  in  some 
vessel,  then  pour  the  blood  out  on 
paper  to  dry ;  a  half  drop  of  this  blood 
is  sufficient  to  vaccinate  a  hen,  and  the 
blood  of  one  hen  will  vaccinate  a  whole 
flock.  Catch  the  fowl  you  wish  to 
vaccinate,  and  with  a  pin  or  knife 
make  a  little  scratch  on  the  thigh  (just 
enough  to  draw  blood),  then  moisten  a 
little  piece  of  the  paper  with  the  dried 
blood  on  and  stick  it  on  the  chicken's 
leg  where  you  scratched  it,  then  let  the 
fowl  run,  and  yon  need  have  no  fear 
of  chicken  cholera.  As  the  result  of 
many  experiments,  I  have  now  dried 
blood  enough,  I  suppose,  to  vaccinate 
ten  thousand  fowls,  for  which  I  have 
no  use,  as  I  do  not  sell  patent  medicines. 
If  any  of  your  readers  are  enough  inter- 
ested in  poultry  to  try  this  preventive, 
by  writing  to  me  I  wdll  send  you  free 
of  any  charge  enough  dried  blood  to 
start  with.  All  I  ask  is  that  they  send 
immediately,  before  the  blood  loses  its 
strength,  and  re})ort  the  result  of  their 
experiment  to  your  many  readers. 

W.  H.  Griffith. 
Zanesv^ille,  Ohio. 

Chickens  so  often  have  to  do  with 
our  gardens,  our  readers  will  not  con- 
sider this  paper  unsuited  to  a  horticul- 
tural magazine. 

PRIMO  STRAWBERRY. 

This  has  not  been  a  favorable  season 
for  the  strawberry,  so  cold  and  back- 
ward that  the  general  crop  is  consid- 
ered light.  I  have  experimented  with 
all  the  now  leading  varieties  for  the 
last  ten  years,  and  have  grown  straw- 
berries for  the  New  York  market,  and 
I  have  not  found  a  strawberry  to  fill 
the  bill  so  well  as  the  Primo.  This  is 
the  second  year  that  I  have  fruited  it. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


273 


I  find  it  hardy  and  very  prolific,  a  sure 
cropper,  very  attractive  in  color,  being 
a  bright  scarlet.  But  the  leading  fea- 
ture of  this  new  berry  is  its  exquisite 
flavor,  possessed  by  no  other  variety  I 
know  of.  This  berry  I  believe  origi- 
nated in  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  and  is  now 
in  the  hands  of  a  Mr.  J.  G.  Buitow, 
Fishkill,  N.  Y.,  of  whom  I  bought  my 
stock.  I  shall  plant  it  extensively 
another  season.— -P.  A.  M.  Van  Wyck, 
«Vi  Farm  aiid  Garden. 

CULTURE  OF  THE  CAULIFLOWER. 

One  of  the  most  greatly  prized,  by 
epicures,  of  all  our  vegetables  is  the 
cauliflower,  and  by  many  amateur  cul- 
tivators it  is  one  of  the  most  ditiS.cult  to 
raise  in  perfection,  particularly  by  those 
who  have  not  learned  its  special  needs 
by  actual  experience.  Many  a  gardener, 
who  cannot  tell  why,  grows  this  excel- 
lent vegetable  successfully ;  and  by 
watching  his  manipulations,  we  are 
enabled  to  study  out  a  system  which, 
when  followed,  generally  proves  suc- 
cessful. Every  variety  of  plant  has  its 
peculiar  needs,  and  when  those  needs 
are  known,  provided  for  and  complied 
with,  it  becomes  a  comparatively  easy 
task  to  gi*ow  the  plant  successfully.  I 
am  told  that  "in  Erfurt  cauliflowei-s 
are  grown  in  low  muck  lands,  with 
intervening  ditches  of  water,  and  even 
then,  during  dry  weather,  water  from 
the  ditches  is  thrown  over  the  plants." 
Water,  therefore,  is  one  of  the  pecu- 
liar needs  of  this  plant ;  but  I  have 
known  excellent  cauliflowers  grown  in 
this  country  on  comparatively  dry 
sandy  loams,  and  better  ones  on  loams 
of  a  more  heavy  and  retentive  charac- 
ter. Water,  and  manure  water,  were 
freely  given  the  plants  when  once 
established,  and  the  soil  was  freely 
stirred. 

This  sort  of  culture,  however  well  it 
may  serve  for  amateur  and  small  gar- 


deners, is  impracticable  for  market 
gardeners,  as  a  rule.  In  all  cases  we 
must  have  plants  that  have  good  roots, 
and  plenty  of  them,  and  for  this,  time 
must  be  given  for  them  to  grow.  A 
slow  growth  of  top  must  therefore  be 
eiicoui-aged  by  starting  the  plants  early 
in  a  hot-bed,  and  transplanting,  when 
small,  into  other  beds  partly  spent  of 
heat,  and  later  into  cold  frames,  wherp> 
they  may  stand  till  time  to  trans]jlant 
into  the  field.  If  properly  hardened 
off",  they  will  stand  as  much  frost  as  a 
C'lbbage  without  injury,  and  we  know 
that  by  setting  cabbages  to  the  depth: 
of  most  of  the  stems'  length,  they  will 
endure  quite  a  degree  of  fi-ost.  It  is 
important  that  the  plants  get  estab- 
lished, for  an  early  crop,  in  the  field  or 
permanent  beds  as  soon  in  the  spring 
as  possible,  that  they  may  have  the 
benefits  of  spring  rains  and  cool 
weather  to  mature  before  early  summer 
drouths  and  heat  come  on.  All  the 
cabbage  tribe  requii-e  a  good  degree  of 
moisture  and  cool  weather  to  induce 
them  to  head  well.  If  the  crop  is 
properly  treated,  the  plants  will  mature 
ready  for  market  in  mid- June,  leaving 
plenty  of  time  to  clear  and  pi^epare 
the  ground  for  second  crops. 

Cauliflower  should  never  be  grown 
on  the  same  ground  oftener  than  once 
in  a  course  of  five  or  six  crops,  and. 
less  frequently  where  two  or  three  crops> 
are  annually  grown  on  the  same  soil. 
An  indispensable  essential  in  the  grow- 
ing of  good  cauliflower  is  that  manure 
be  liberally  applied  and  the  land  thor- 
oughly prepared.  Thorough  culture 
must  be  the  rule.  Lime,  superphos- 
phate and  guano,  in  conjunction  with 
farmyard  manure,  should  be  applieil 
freely  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of 
manure  available.  By  pui-suing  some 
such  course,  splendid  crops  of  this 
most  delicious  of  the  cabbage  family 
may  be  gi'own  annually.  The  catalogues 
enumerate  and  describe  a  dozen  or  moie 


274 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


of  varieties,  but  for  practical  purposes, 
for  the  early  crop,  Early  Dwarf  Erfurt, 
Early  Paris,  and  Lenormand's  will  be 
found  quite  as  satifactory  as  any. — 
W.  H.  White,  in  Country  Gentleman. 


THE  CLEMATIS. 
The  wonderful  improvement  in  these 
beavitiful  plants,  combined  with  their 
easy  culture,  and  the  many  uses  to 
which  they  may  be  employed,  has 
created  a  popularity  and  demand  for 
them  unequaled  by  any  other  clinxbers. 

In  answer  to  several  readers  about 
the  hardiness  and  culture  of  the  Cle- 
matis, we  may  safely  state  that5  all  the 
best  and  most  beautiful  varieties  are 
perfectly  hardy  in  the  Northern  States, 
and  of  the  easiest  culture.  Yet,  as 
with  most  plants,  to  obtain  best  results, 
a  certain  amount  of  care  and  attention 
has  to  be  given.  Even  throughout 
Canada  they  are  now  grown  extensively 
and  satisfactorily.  Mr.  Wellington, 
who  has  given  much  attention  to  their 
culture,  stated  before  the  Fruit-growers' 
Association  of  Ontario  that  he  consid- 
ered them  thoroughly  hardy  in  Canada, 
capable  of  the  finest  results,  and  that 
there  is  scarcely  any  place  where  they 
are  inappropriate.  ''  They  are  excel- 
lent upon  the  lawn  as  pillar  or  stake 
plants,  or  growing  upon  stumps  of 
trees  ;  in  beds  or  borders,  in  the  garden, 
they  cover  the  surface  with  the  richest 
carpet  of  brilliance  and  beauty ;  for 
trailing  upon  verandas,  or  trellises  and 
arbors,  there  is  nothing  so  effective  and 
pleasing  ;  over  mounds  of  rock-work, 
with  an  intermingling  of  varieties  of 
different  colors,  they  present  an  appear- 
ance of  marvelous  beauty,  and  as  pot- 
plants,  trained  upon  w  ire  frames  of  any 
desired  shape,  they  have  few  equals." 

In  the  Middle  and  Southern  States, 
Clematises  will  grow   in   almost    any 


situation  if  the  soil  is  of  moderate  fer- 
tility, and  if  the  roots  of  other  plants 
do  not  rob  them  of  their  proper  share 
of  nutriment.  To  insure  success  in 
northern  latitudes,  more  care  is  re- 
quired, however,  Mr.  Wellington  says 
in  this  regard  :  *'  Our  own  experience 
would  lead  us  to  say  success  depends 
upon  high  culture.  It  transplants  well, 
but  is  a  gross  feeder  ;  you  can  scarcely 
overfeed  it.  Select  a  good,  rich  soil, 
in  the  first  place,  and  then  annually  or 
oftener  supply  heavy  dressings  of  rich, 
well-rotted  manure,  thoroughly  incorpo- 
rating with  the  soil.  Frequent  appli- 
cations of  liquid  manure  will  be  found 
very  beneficial,  and  amply  repay  time 
and  trouble.  The  perpetual  qualities 
of  the  plant  are  not  fully  brought  out 
unless  kept  constantly  growing,  and  to 
do  this  it  is  necessary  to  supply  unfail- 
ing nourishment.  In  the  fall,  before 
freezing  weather  sets  in,  mulch  heavily, 
from  four  to  six  inches  deep,  with  well- 
rotted  compost,  spading  into  the  soil  in 
the  spring  before  the  plants  begin  to 
start.  We  do  not  know  of  any  better 
system  of  culture  than  this.  It  has 
never  failed  to  produce  the  most  satis- 
factory results  with  us.  Should  the 
soil  become  heavy,  we  would  loosen  it 
with  an  application  of  sand  or  sandy 
loam." 

They  carry  and  transplant  easily,  and 
with  any  fair  usage  the  plant  is  sure  to 
grow.  If  liberally  fed,  the  plant  each 
year  increases  in  strength  and  number 
of  its  shoots,  and  consequently  the 
number  and  size  of  its  brilliant  blos- 
soms. They  generally  flower  the  first 
season,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  for 
them  to  give  grand  results  when  well 
cared  for,  growing  vigorously  and  pro- 
ducing a  profuse  mass  of  flowers.  The 
introduction  of  the  C.  coccinea,  with  its 
bright  scarlet  flowers,  adds  a  new  and 
brilliant  shade  to  their  already  unsur- 
passed galaxy  of  colors. — The  American 
Gardener. 


THE  QANADIAN   HOBTTCULTDRTST» 


275 


THE  RAREST  AMERICAN  WILD 
PLANT. 

Shortia  CaUvcifolia. 

The  "Tenus  Fly  Trap"  (Dionma 
musipnlaj  is  a  plant  that  is  found  wild 
only  in  a  few  spots  in  the  United 
States  ;  but  for  its  peculiar  structure 
has  been  propagated  so  much  that  it  ivs 
ceasing  to  be  a  novelty.  There  is 
another  species  of  plant  that  is  more 
rare  than  this,  and  a  brief  account  of 
its  history  and  a  description  of  the 
plant  itself  may  not  come  amiss. 

In  the  year  1839,  in  examining  the 
dried  specimens  of  a  noted  English 
botanist,  Dr.  Asa  Gray  came  across  a 
plant  that  had  been  collected  in  the 
mountains  of  North  Carolina  over  a 
hundred  yeai-s  ago.  It  was  unlike  any 
other  American  plant  that  he  had  seen, 
and  the  species  was  given  the  generic 
name  of  Shortia,  in  honor  of  Dr.  C.  W. 
Short  an  accomplished  botanist,  as  well 
as  physician,  of  Louisville,  Ky. 

Dr.  (-Jray  and  other  botanists  made 
an  extended  tour  through  North  Caro- 
lina in  the  year  1841,  mainly  for  the 
purpose  of  re-discovering  the  new  plant, 
but  without  success.  At  frequent 
intervals  since  that  date  other  botanists 
have  followed  the  trail  of  the  original 
discoverers,  but  in  all  cases  failed  to 
find  Shortia.  It  was  believed  by  many 
that  the  species  must  have  become 
extinct. 

In  1877  Mr.  G.  M.  Haynes  had  the 
good  fortune  and  honor  of  rediscovering 
the  long  sought  plant.  He  found  it  in 
MacDowell  County,  N.  C. ;  and  in  1879 
Dr.  Gray  witli  others  made  a  pilgrimage 
to  the  home  of  the  rarest  of  American 
wild  plants.  The  locality  where  it  was 
growing  was  a  space  of  about  ten  by 
thirty  feet  and  contained  not  over  one 
hundred  plants.  It  is  certainly  quite 
remarkable  that  this  plant  should  be  so 
limited  in  its  range  of  growth,  and  also 
as  wonderful  that  it  should  be  I'e-dis- 


covered  so  long  after  it  was  first  found 
by  a  wandering  botanist. 

How  quickly  a  case  like  this  calls  to 
mind  the  struggle  for  existence  this  plant 
has  had  I  and  one  is  inclined  to  turn  in 
thought  to  the  unfitness  which  this 
plant  must  have  for  the  battle  of  life. 
Had  it  not  been  re  discovered  it  might 
have  become  extinct  before  many  yeai^. 
It  would  seem  as  if  Shoi-tia  was,  in  the 
evening  twilight  of  its  obscureexistence, 
but  rescued  from  death  by  tlu;  saving 
hand  of  man. 

A  few  words  of  description  aie  in 
order.  Shortia  belongs  to  the  small 
Diapensia  Family,  so  that  it  is  closely 
allied  to  the  heaths  on  one  side  and  the 
primroses  on  the  other.  The  plant  is 
a  low  herb  with  a  creeping  root  stock 
from  which  arise  evergreen  leaves  in 
shining  tufts.  The  specific  name  gal- 
acifolia  is  given  it  because  its  leaves 
have  a  strong  resemblance  to  those  of 
a  species  of  !/alax,  a  related  genus.  The 
flower  stalks  arise  from  among  the 
leaves,  each  bearing  a  single  flower, 
which  is  pure  white  and  about  an  inch 
across.  The  petals  are  scolloped  and 
somewhat  fringed  at  the  margin,  and 
marked  with  semi-transparent  veins. 
Shortia  is  a  pretty  little  plant,  and  its 
gi'eat  rarity  makes  it  an  object  of  great 
interest  to  all  lovers  of  plants. — Byron 
D.  Halstead,  in  Ladies  Floral  Cabinet. 

A  Kansas  paper  asserts  that  the  people 
of  that  State  have  planted,  under  the 
State  forestry  laws,  93,000  acres  in  trees. 
The  cotton  wood,  on  account  of  its  rapid 
growth,  has  been  planted  most  abund- 
antly. Some  G,000  acres  of  black  walnut 
have  been  put  out.  These  93,000  acres 
of  trees,  if  well  cared  for,  will  in  a  few- 
years  not  only  add  greatly  to  the  beauty 
of  Kansas  scenery,  but  will  materially 
modify  the  clijuato  of  tlie  State.  If  the 
good  work  goes  on,  the  day  will  come 
when  Kansas  will  be  as  free  from  drouths 
as  are  any  of  the  Western  States.  The 
constant  winds  will  also  be  done  away 
with,  to  a  great  degree. — Prairie  Farmer. 


276 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


LIMA  BEANS. 

The  great  value  of  the  Lima  Bean, 
for  summer  as  well  as  for  winter  use,  is 
everywhere  gaining  for  it  increasing 
popularity.  The  principal  difficulty  in 
its  culture  is  to  produce  it  early  enough, 
as  the  plant  is  very  tender  and  cannnot 
be  planted  before  permanently  warm 
weather  sets  in. 

Mr.  B.  G.  Smith,  who  has  been  very 
successful  in  the  cultivation  of  this 
vegetable,  communicated  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts Horticultural  Society  his  me- 
thod, which  consists  in  sowing  the  seed 
about  the  middle  of  April  (being  careful 
to  place  the  eye  down),  in  what  are 
known  as  "  cucumber  boxes,"  filled  with 
loam,  five  seeds  in  each.  The  boxes  are 
without  bottoms,  six  inches  in  height, 
seven  inches  square  at  the  top  and  eight 
inches  square  at  the  lower  part,  and  are 
made  of  half-inch  stuff.  They  cost  six 
dollars  and  a  half  per  hundred,  and  his 
have  already  been  in  use  ten  years.  He 
was  the  tii-st  to  use  them  to  forward 
Lima  Beans,  and  finds  them  invaluable 
for  this  purpose.  When  the  Beans  are 
planted  the  boxes  are  placed  in  the  cold 
grapery.  When  the  plants  are  about 
two  feet  high,  the  ground  is  prepared 
and  the  poles  are  set  out,  and  a  hole 
large  enough  to  receive  the  box  is  made 
at  the  foot  of  each.  A  box  is  then  lifted 
on  a  shovel,  placed  in  the  hole  and  the 
shovel  withdrawn.  The  box  is  then  re- 
moved by  lifting  up;  the  object  of 
making  the  top  an  inch  smaller  than  the 
bottom  being  to  permit  this. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  set  out  the  young 
plants  before  the  first  of  June,  but  this 
is  as  early  as  the  seed  can  be  planted 
out-doors,  and  by  forwarding  in  this  way 
five  weeks  can  be  gained,  and  the  beans 
can  be  had  fresh  from  the  garden  from 
the  middle  of  August  to  the  middle  of 
October. 

The  Lima  Bean  is  a  tropical  plant  and 
requires  a  long  season.  Any  surplus 
can  be  dried  for  winter  use,  and  when 


soaked  can  hardly  be  distinguished  from 
fresh  beans.  In  saving  seed  the  earliest 
beans  should  be  carefully  selected. — 
American  Garden. 


STONE'S  HARDY  BLACKBERRY 

Is  a  chance  seedling  which  origi- 
nated near  Rockford,  Illinois.  In  the 
spring  of  1874,  I  obtained  a  few  roor.s 
of  a  friend  who  had  been  cultivating 
them  in  his  garden  four  years  with  ex- 
cellent success.  I  bought  some  genu- 
ine Snyder  roots  the  same  spring,  and 
set  them  both  h^re  in  Wisconsin,  side 
by  side,  and  have  given  them  the  same 
cultivation,  every  year  since,  without 
any  winter  protection  to  either.  Have 
set  some  of  each  variety  every  year 
since  1874,  and  after  growing  this  new 
variety  eight  years,  by  the  side  of  the 
Snyder,  I  can  better  describe  it  by 
comparing  it  with  the  Snyder,  which 
is  conceded  to  be  the  hardiest  variety 
under  general  cultivation.  During  the 
eight  years  I  have  had  them  side  by 
side,  the  Hardy  has  always  passed 
through  the  winter  in  better  condition 
than  the  Snyder,  which  was  twice 
killed  to  the  ground,  while  the  Hardy 
was  injured  only  on  the  end  of  the 
branches.  The  crop  of  the  Snyder  for 
those  two  years  was  a  failure,  but  that 
of  the  Hardy  was  good. 

It  is  the  universal  opinion  of  the 
many  who  visit  my  grounds  and  see 
the  two  varieties  side  by  side  in  their 
prime  that  the  Hardy  is  the  most  pro- 
ductive and  better  in  quality  than  the 
Snyder, 

It  is  an  upright  and  vigorous  grower ; 
the  wood  is  stocky,  short  jointed,  ripens 
early,  turns  dark  red,  and  is  very  hardy. 
The  berry  is  black  and  glossy  when 
ripe,  and  has  a  delicious  flavor.  It 
commences  to  ripen  its  fruit  about  five 
days  later  than  the  Snyder,  and  con- 
tinues bearing  ten  days  longer;  the 
fruit  is  well  protected  by  the  thick, 
healthy  foliage. — I.  N.  S. 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


277 


FLOWERS  FOR  INVALIDS. 
A  lady  writing  about  the  pleasure 
that  flowers  give  to  invalids,  tells  the 
following    anecdote    to    illustrate    her 
words : 

''  Several  years  ago,  when  I  was  a  young 
housekeeper,  I  was  startled  one  Sunday 
morning  by  the  request,  from  a  working 
blacksmith,  for  some  grapes  for  his  sick 
wife.  We  had  no  greenhouse  or  vinery. 
Our  little  bit  of  garden  was  most  unas- 
suming, and  I  could  not  tliink  what  made 
the  man  come  to  me. 

'*  However,  I  told  him  that  I  believed 
a  friend  of  ours  had  some  early  grapes, 
and  if  I  could  get  some,  his  wife  should 
have  them  in  the  afternoon.  My  husband 
walked  out  with  me  to  our  friend's  house. 
Some  grapes  were  most  willingly  given 
for  the  invalid,  and  some  flowers  for  our- 
selves. 

"  I  gathered  two  or  three  pretty  and 
sweet  flowers — I  remember  that  a  carna- 
tion and  two  sweet  peas  formed  part — 
tied  them  together,  and  we  took  them 
with  the  fruit  to  the  sick  woman. 

"  We  were  taken  up  to  her  bedroom. 
There  she  lay,  pale  and  emaciated,  with 
an  ominous  flush  on  her  cheeks.  We 
handed  her  the  longed-for  gi'apes.  She 
said  '  much  obliged. ' 

"  But  when  I  held  out  to  her  the  few 
flowers  I  had  brought,  she  snatched  them 
so  eagerly  that  I  was  startled  and  awed  to 
see  the  delight  they  gave  to  one  who  was 
evidently  so  near  the  confines  of  the 
Unknown. 

"  I  called  again  in  a  day  or  two,  and 
saw  the  flowers  carefully  preserved  and 
looking  bright  in  a  doctor's  medicine 
bottle  close  by  her  bedside.  That  scene 
taught  me  a  lesson  I  have  never  forgotten, 
and  I  hope  it  is  not  without  its  use  also." 
Floral  Cabinet 


The  thbbe  best  double  flowering 
OERANiDMs  for  bedding  purposes  are 
Bishop  Wood,  Summit  of  Perfection  and 
Henry  Canuell.  All  these  are  of  dwarf, 
compact  liabit,  very  floriferous,  and  pro- 
duce tlieir  flowers  in  large  trusses.  They 
stand  our  liot,  dry  summer  weather  with- 
out sustaining  the  least  injury. 


NOTES  ON  BEETS. 

Having  grown  an  assortment  of  Beets 
for  exhibition,  I  avail  myself  of  the 
experience  gained  in  growing  them 
(added  to  previous  experience  as  a  gar- 
dener of  thirty  years'  service),  to  note 
their  respective  characteristics  and  value. 

The  Blood  Turnip  Beet  is  the  favor- 
ite standard  variety  in  nearly  all  private 
gardens,  and  as  a  market  Beet.  There 
are  many  sub-varieties,  the  earliest  of 
which,  introduced  about  ten  years  ago, 
is  the  Dark  Red  Egyptian.  This,  when 
young,  is  of  excellent  quality,  but  needs 
successive  planting  if  relied  upon  for 
all-summer  supply,  and  is  of  little  value 
under  any  circumstances  for  winter  use. 
Previous  to  the  advent  of  the  Egyptian 
Beet,  the  Early  Bassano  was  the  favor- 
ite, and  a  very  fine  Beet  it  is.  But 
even  had  not  the  Egyptian  come  to 
supplant  it,  Bastians  Early  lUood  Tur- 
nip Beet  would  have  done  so,  I  think. 
Bastian's  Beet  is  rather  obscured  by  the 
Egyptian,  and  is  not  widely  grown,  but 
is  nevertheless  a  valuable  variety,  and 
has  the  merit  of  keeping  its  tenderness 
through  the  summer,  not  needing  suc- 
cessive plantings.  Ilatclis  Early  Tur- 
nip Beet  is  a  variety  po[)ular  around 
Boston,  while  Simon's  Early  Turnip 
Beet  is  in  use  near  Philadeljdiia.  But, 
undoubtedly,  the  best  of  this  class  for 
general  use  is  Dewing  s^  which  is  very 
thoroughbred,  with  small  neck,  smooth 
root,  and  symmetrical  form.  I  do  not 
know  how  it  could  be  bettered. 

The  half-long  varieties  are  quite  ex- 
tensively grown,  and  are  in  no  particu- 
lar inferior  to  any  others,  though  more 
popular,  so  far  as  my  experience  extends, 
in  private  gardens  than  among  market- 
men,  They,  as  well  as  the  long-rooted 
sorts,  are  rather  better  keej)ei's  through 
the  winter  than  any  of  the  Turnip- 
shaped  ;  yet  all  kinds  need  to  be  kept 
j)acked  in  sand  to  retain  their  plumpness 
and  flavor,  and  when  so  packed  I  find 


278 


THE   CA.NADIAN    HORTICULTUKIST. 


De wing's  Tiimip  Beet  to  keep  well  until  ! 
the  new  crop  is  ready.  The  longer 
sorts,  however,  are  more  productive, 
and  a  small  bed  will  therefore  give  a 
larger  supply,  which  is  often  very  desi- 
rable to  those  whose  garden  is  small. 
Among  the  half-long  kinds  none  are 
better  than  the  Common  Half-long  and 
Bastian's  Half-long.  The  latter  is  quite 
distinct,  and  of  a  fine,  dank  color.  The 
Deep  Red  Castelnandary  and  Rough- 
skinned  belong  to  the  half-long  class, 
but  do  not  seem  to  have  become  popular. 
Pine-ftqyple  is  also  a  half-long  of  great 
merit,  with  very  dark  red  foliage  and 
roots. 

The  long-rooted  Beets  have  i-ather 
gone  out  of  fashion,  except  with  old- 
fashioned  gardeners  ;  yet  we  never  had 
a  better  Beet  than  the  old  Long  Smooth 
Dark  Blood  Beet.  It  is  still  a  favorite 
with  many,  and,  if  the  strain  of  this 
Beet  has  been  kept  pure  and  well 
selected,  it  is  especially  to  be  recom- 
m3nded  to  those  who  grow  for  exhibi- 
tion. And,  by  the  way,  nothing  looks 
nicer  at  a  fair  than  a  well  grown  and 
well  displayed  show  of  Beets.  It  al- 
ways attracts  attention,  and  deserves  it. 

It  will  not  do,  in  an  article  like  this, 
to  omit  the  Field  Beets  ;  but  the  list,  if 
I  were  to  choose  it,  would  not  be  long. 
Lane's  Improved  Sugar  Beet  and  the 
Yellom  Ovoid  Mangold  seem  to  me  the 
best,  though  for  shallow  soils  the  Red 
or  Yellow  Globes  may  be  preferred.  The 
Long  Red  Mangold  is  a  nuis<ince,  in  my 
opinion,  both  in  the  field  and  in  the 
cellar,  sprawling  aix)und,  "  all  over 
everything,"  and  as  crooked  as  the  old 
lady's  fire-wood,  which  she  said  was 
"  so  cix>oked  that  it  could  not  lie  still." 
Yet  many  grow  it  without  complaint. 

The  Chard  Beets  do  not  seem  to  be 
very  popular,  and  some  seedsmen  do 
not  offer  them  at  all.  But  since  the 
Beet  Anthomijia  fly,  with  its  nasty, 
white   little   grubi   feeding   upon   the 


leaves,  have  put  an  end  to  Beet  Greens, 
I  cannot  but  advise  the  planting  of 
Chards,  the  thick  mid-ribs,  or  char;]s, 
of  which  are  an  excellent  summer  sub- 
stitute for  Asparagus,  and  are,  when 
well  grown,  as  tender  and  as  rapidly 
reproduced  as  Spinach.  A  good  variety 
is  the  Swiss  CJmrd  ;  but,  on  the  author- 
ity of  that  most  excellent  authority,  my 
own  and  the  ])ublic's  friend,  Mr.  C.  G. 
Pringle,  I  recommend,  as  still  better, 
Beck's  Improved  Sea-kale  Bi  et,  wliich  is 
quite  a  curiosity  among  Beets,  the  leaf 
stalks  being  very  broad  and  thick,  and 
about  a  foot  long,  exceedingly  tender 
and  fine  flavored.  I  do  not  think  our 
gardening  frio  ds  can  afford  to  neglect 
these  varieties  if  they  mean  to  have 
"  all  the  delicacies  of  the  season." — Dr. 
T.  H.  HoSKlxNS,    in  American   Garden. 


DO  NOT  WASTE  BONES. 

The  bones  of  fish,  bones  of  fowls,  the 
large  and  small  pieces  of  bones  which 
are  purchased  with  beef  steak  and 
mutton,  constitute  the  very  best  food 
for  fruit  trees  and  grape  vines,  if  the 
fragments  are  only  placed  where  the 
roots  can  lay  hold  of  them.  Instead  of 
allowing  pieces  of  bones  to  be  cast  into 
the  backyard,  as  food  for  stray  dogs  and 
strange  cats,  domestics  should  be  dir- 
ected to  deposit  every  thing  of  the  sort 
in  a  small  tub  provided  with  a  lid.  As- 
soon  as  only  a  few  {)ounds  have  accum- 
ulated, we  take  the  tub  to  some  grape 
vine  or  fruit  tree,  dig  a  hole  three  or 
more  feet  long,  a  foot  or  two  wide,  and 
not  less  than  a  foot  deep,  into  which 
the  bones  are  dumjxid,  spread  over  the 
bottom  of  the  excavation,  and  covered 
with  the  soil.  The  more  the  fragments 
can  be  spread  around,  the  better.  But 
they  should  be  burie<l  so  deep  that  a 
plow  or  spade  will  not  reach  them.  The 
iX)ots  of  growing  vines  or  fruit  trees  will 
soon  find  the  valuable  mine  of  rich 
fertility,  and  will  feed  on  tlie  elements 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


279 


that  will  greatly  promote  the  growth 
of  healthy  wood,  and  the  development 
of  fair  and  luscious  fruit. 

Many  horticulturists  and  farmers 
purchase  bone-dust  costing  not  less  than 
two  cents  a  pound,  simply  to  enrich  the 
soil  around  and  beneath  their  trees  and 
vines.  Fragments  of  bones  are  just  as 
valuable  as  ground  bone,  although  their 
elements  of  fertility  will  not  be  found 
available  in  so  short  a  time  as  if  the 
large  pieces  were  reduced  to  small  atoms 
Nevertheless,  if  large  bones  be  buried 
three  or  four  feet  from  a  grapevine,  the 
countless  numbers  of  mouths  at  the  end 
of  roots  will  soon  dissolve,  take  up,  and 
appropriate  every  particle.  When  cast 
out  of  the  kitchen  door,  bones  are  like 
a  nuisance  ;  whereas,  if  properly  buried, 
they  become  a  source  of  valuable  fertil- 
ity. Let  every  person  who  owns  a 
grapevine  or  fruit  tree  save  all  the  bones 
that  pass  through  the  kitchen,  and  bury 
them  where  such  worthless  material 
will  be  turned  to  some  profit. — Western 
Farmer.  

CLEMATIS  COOCINEA. 
Among  the  new  and  beautiful  plants 
of  recent  introduction,  we  know  of  none 
of  more  value,  as  a  climbing  plant,  than 
the  Clematis  Coccinea.  Its  flowers  are 
from  1  to  1^  inches  long,  bell-shaped, 
and  of  the  most  intense  coral  scarlet, 
shining  as  if  polished,  and  are  produced 
from  tlie  axil  of  each  leaf,  on  strong, 
wiry  foot-stalks  3  to  4  inches  long, 
standing  out  boldly  from  the  foliage. 
The  leaves  are  of  a  rich,  deep,  shining 
green,  deeply  lobed  and  of  a  thick 
texture.  The  plant  is  like  the  old  and 
well-known  species  Criapa,  herbaceous, 
dying  down  to  the  ground  each  year. 
Its  tii-st  flowers  appear  in  July,  and  are 
produced  in  great  abundance  until  the 
plant  is  cut  down  by  frost.  It  is  very 
desiraV)le  as  a  pot  plant,  [larticularly  in 
localities  subject  to  early  frosts. — 
Ladies   Floral  Cabinet. 


THE   UTILITY   OF   HIGHWAY   TREE 
PLANTING. 

[A  paper  read  at  the  summer  meeting  of  the  State 

Horti(;iiltnral    Society    at    Benton    Harbor,    by 
Henry  G.  Reynolds,  of  Old  Mission.] 

Not  the  least  valuable  among  the 
labors  of  the  Michigan  Legislature  is  a 
modification  of  our  highway  laws,  which 
will  within  a  few  years  go  far  toward 
making  every  country  road  throughout 
the  State,  a  delight  to  the  eyes,  a  plea- 
sure to  the  weary  ti'aveller,  a  source  of 
pride  to  every  citizen.  This  modifica- 
tion of  the  laws  is  of  two  parts,  by  the 
first  of  which  our  former  law  relative 
to  cattle  at  large,  has  been  made  an 
active  reality,  so  that  henceforth  our 
lands  are  to  be  condemned  for  public 
use  as  common  highways,  not  as  com- 
mon pig  yard  or  cattle  pen,  unless  we 
locally  decide  to  make  them  such.  This 
measure,  by  which  our  highway  will 
be  cleared  of  all  animals  not  under  con- 
trol, prepares  the  way  for  the  second 
step,  viz.,  the  gradual  planting  on  each 
side  of  every  highway  a  row  of  trees, 
to  be  from  eight  to  ten  feet  from  the 
fence,  and,  as  near  as  may  be,  sixty 
feet  from  tree  to  tree.  This  will, 
within  a  score  of  years,  line  every  pub- 
lic road  in  the  State  with  handsome 
trees,  and  make  Michigan  well  worth 
travelling  far  to  see. 

There  was  some  opposition  to  the 
passage  of  this  law,  based  upon  the 
idea  that  large  trees  along  the  roadside 
exerted  an  unfavoral)le  influence  upon 
the  road  bed  by  preventing  the  drying 
effect  of  sun  and  wind,  and  thus  keej> 
ing  the  road  muddy  and  ensuring  deep 
ruts.  If  such  were  to  be  the  result  of 
the  law,  it  certainly  was  a  blunder ; 
and  as  pictures  of  mud  and  deep  I'uts 
rise  before  the  imagination,  it  is  true 
that  with  them  aie  generally  associated 
the  deep  shade  of  the  forest.  Is  this 
then  what  we  are  coming  1o]  No, 
cmphaticjilly  not.  Who  of  us  in  this 
part  of  the  State  cannot  call  to  mind 
lon<r  stretches    of  road  buried  in   the 


280 


THE    CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


deepest  forest,  where  the  track  is 
always  good?  Between  Lansing  and 
Owosso,  a  distance  of  about  25  miles, 
the  only  uniformly  good  stretch  of  road 
is  a  distance  of  two  miles  through  a 
dense  forest.  On  the  light  soils  of  a 
large  part  of  our  State,  nothing  assists 
more  to  keep  the  track  in  good  condi- 
tion than  moisture,  and  on  all  such 
thei'e  is  no  danger  from  too  heavy  road- 
side planting. 

But  how  about  our  heavier  soils  1 
On  them  certainly,  the  clearing  away 
of  the  forests  improves  the  track  by 
making  it  drier.  But,  proving  that  a 
forest  is  bad,  no  more  proves  a  single 
line  of  trees  to  be  so,  than  the  drown- 
ing of  a  man  in  the  ocean  proves  that 
a  foot  bath  is  dangerous. 

Let  us  reflect  a  little  on  the  process 
of  drying  or  evaporation  ;  this  is  an 
absorption  by  the  air  of  the  moisture 
contained  in  those  substances  with 
which  it  comes  in  contact,  and  its 
rapidity  varies  according  to  the  degree 
of  saturation  of  this  air.  Without 
■wind  this  soon  reaches  a  point  that 
produces  equilibrium  and  so  checks 
evaporation  entirely,  except  as  upper 
strata  may  gradually  absorb  part  of  the 
moisture  of  the  lower. 

A  wind  however  soon  changes  all 
this,  and  by  commingling  the  different 
strata  of  air,  constantly  brings  new 
portions  of  unsaturated  air  into  con- 
tact with  the  moist  surface,  and  so  dries 
it  much  more  rapidly  than  still  air  can. 
It  is  an  error  to  say  that  the  sun 
"drinks  up  water;"  except  through 
heating  the  air  and  thereby  increasing 
its  capacity  for  holding  the  vapor  of 
water,  it  does  not  help  at  all  in  the 
process  of  evaporation.  It  is  the  air 
that  is  thus  made  thirsty  by  the  action 
of  the  sun,  and  it  is  the  air  which 
drinks  up  the  water  from  the  surface 
of  the  earth  or  of  the  ocean.  Thus  we 
see  tnat  it  is  of  comparatively  little 


moment  whether  or  not  we  shade  our 
road  bed,  if  we  do  not  at  the  same  time 
shut  off  the  winds  from  blowing  upon 
it.  There  is  no  danger  of  our  doing 
this  to  an  injurious  degree  if  we  take 
care  to  trim  so  as  to  have  no  branches 
within  eight  or  ten  feet  of  the  ground. 
Such  trees,  standing  60  feet  apart,  will 
serve  to  modify  the  violence  of  heavy 
winds,  but  they  will  produce  none  of 
the  effects  of  a  dense  thicket,  which, 
by  shutting  off  all  wind,  almost  pre- 
vents evaporation,  and  so  keeps  the 
ground  beneath  it  moist  at  all  times. 
Many  muddy  roads  are  inexcusably  so, 
because  nothing  has  been  done  toward 
shaping  them  so  as  to  shed  water  from 
their  surface.  A  road  on  heavy  soil,  to 
be  good  at  all  times,  should  be  rounded 
off  from  the  sides  toward  the  centre 
witli  a  good  open  ditch  at  the  sides. 
Where  this  has  been  thorougly  done 
there  will  be  very  little  cause  to  com- 
plain of  the  effect  of  roadside  tree 
planting.  No  farmer  need  be  reminded 
of  the  influence  of  isolated  trees  in  his 
fields,  which  is  rather  to  dry  up  than  to 
keep  moist  the  soil  about  them,  and  by 
thus  drying  out  to  stunt  the  growth  of 
smaller  vegetation  near  them. 

The  practice  of  perfect  road-making 
is  wholly  unknown  in  this  country  as 
compared  with  England,  Germany, 
France  and  Switzerland,  and  yet  in 
those  countries  nothing  is  more  com- 
mon than  to  see  long  lines  of  trees  on 
each  side  of  roads,  the  surface  of  which 
is  as  smooth  and  free  fix)m  luts  or  stand- 
ing water  as  a  parlor  floor. 

Profit  in  Grape  Growing. — The 
average  yield  of  Concords  is  15  to  20 
pounds  to  the  vine,  or  say  about  12,000 
pounds  to  the  acre,  which,  at  four  cents 
per  pound,  about  the  average  price, 
brings  $4:S0  per  acre,  deducting  for  pick- 
ing, packages,  &c, ,  even  at  this  low  price 
there  is  a  net  yearly  profit  of  at  least 
$250  to  ^300  per  acre.  Who  says  grapes 
don't  pay  l — Fruit  Recorder. 


THE   CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


281 


PROFITABLE  GROWING  OF  QUINCES, 

W.  J.  Fowler,  in  the  Rural  New 
Yorker,  writes  to  that  paper  as  follows  : 

"  Having  just  received  returns  from 
a  small  plantation  of  quinces,  I  am 
satisfied  that  no  portion  of  ray  land, 
whether  in  grain  or  other  fruit  crops, 
pays  so  well,  either  for  the  land  occu- 
pied or  the  time  and  money  expended. 
I  have  comparatively  few  trees  in  full 
bearing,  but  from  those  which  fully 
occupied  the  ground  I  sold  fruit  at  the 
rate  of  fully  $500  per  acre,  and  this, 
too,  though  quinces  have,  the  past  fall, 
sold  lower,  proportionately,  than  other 
fruit.  I  am  satisfied  that  this  is  not 
likely  to  happen  again,  and  that  the 
price  of  quinces,  profitable  as  quince 
growing  proves  in  the  right  localities 
and  properly  conducted,  is  likely  to 
rule  high  for  years  to  come.  The  quince 
is  a  more  difficult  fruit  to  grow  than 
the  pear,  despite  the  blight  which 
affects  the  latter.  There  are  large 
areas  where  pears  thrive  well  where 
the  quince  entirely  fails.  The  last 
winter  killed  or  rendered  nearly  worth- 
less thousands  of  trees  in  this  section. 
The  drouth  has  also  seriously  affected 
many  young  orchards,  causing  the 
leaves  to  fall  long  before  frost,  and  the 
few  specimens  that  the  trees  bore  were 
in  consequence  small  and  poor.  It  will 
be  impossible  for  such  trees  to  mature 
buds  for  next  year's  fruiting,  so  that 
whatever  the  season  the  crop  is  sure  to 
be  a  small  one. 

"  My  success  with  quinces  I  attri- 
bute to  the  accident  that  most  of  my 
trees  and  all  those  now  in  bearing  were 
set  in  low,  mucky  ground,  and  with 
such  shelter  that  their  own  fallen  leaves 
and  those  of  an  adjoining  apple  orchard 
made  a  good  annual  mulch.  The  trouble 
in  growing  quinces  has  been  lack  of 
hardiness  in  our  severe  winters.  It  is 
not  the  trunk  and  top  that  are  tender, 
but  the  root.  I  have  always  noticed 
2 


that  trees  in  exposed  situations  were 
killed  in  years  when  the  frost  pene- 
trated deeply.  In  a  mucky,  rather 
wet  soil,  covered  with  a  mulch  of  leaves, 
the  frost  has  rarely  penetrated  to  the 
roots  of  my  older  quince  trees.  Since 
I  have  learned  this  requirement  of  the 
quince  I  have  taken  some  pains  to 
gather  leaves  and  put  them  under  my 
quince  trees,  doing  this  easily,  as  they 
are  on  the  bank  of  a  small  brook,  which 
is  full  of  leaves  every  fall.  This  winter 
I  shall  add  a  little  well-rotted  stable 
manure,  as  there  is  no  crop  to  which  I 
can  apply  it  where  it  will  do  more 
good.  I  am  not  afraid  of  making  the 
soil  too  rich  for  quinces,  as  the  heavier 
manuring  I  give,  within  reasonable 
limits,  the  larger  and  fairer  will  be 
the  fruit,  I  am  not  sure  that  a  vigor- 
ous growth  will  not  also  prevent  to 
some  extent  the  evils  of  twig  blight 
and  the  red  rust  on  the  fruit,  which 
was  less  prevalent  on  my  trees  the 
past  summer  than  on  many  that  I 
have  seen. 

"  Another  help  to  success  is  a  libei-al 
application  of  salt  every  spring,  and 
occasionally  during  the  growing  season. 
It  is  not  good  policy  to  empty  brine 
from  old  pork  barrels  under  the  quince 
tree.  Too  much  is  liable  to  be  thus 
given,  and  the  tree  may  be  killed.  The 
salt  is  not  a  manure  for  the  tree,  but 
valuable  mainly  in  keeping  the  soil 
cool  and  moist.  About  one  quart  to  a 
tree,  sown  as  far  around,  at  least  as 
the  branches  extend,  is  sufficient  at  one 
time.  The  salt  also  has  an  effect  in 
making  the  fertility  of  the  soil  more 
available.  The  mulch  should  be  kept 
up  all  summer,  and  occasionally  re- 
newed to  keep  out  grass  and  weeds. 
Salt  will  help  this  result,  and  will  also 
hasten  the  decomposition  of  the  mulch 
into  fine  manure.  No  cultivation  is 
needed  or  should  be  allowed  save  with 
the  hoe,  and  that  on  the  surface,  lest 
the  roots  be  injured.     Plowing  among 


282 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


quince  trees,  breaking  the  tender  roots 
and  leaving  the  soil  harder  than  before, 
is  a  frequent  cause  of  faihire.  Mulch- 
ing and  salt  will  keep  the  soil  in  just 


the  right  condition.' 


CULTURE  OF  THE  TUBEROSE. 

BY    E.    W.    BPSWELL,    BOSTON,    MASS. 

As  the  time  is  upon  us  for  starting 
in  growth  taberose  bulbs,  for  bloom  in 
the  holidays,  it  is  thought  a  few  hints, 
prompted  by  practical  experience,  may 
be  acceptable  to  your  readers.  This 
flower,  the  Polianthes  Tuherosa,  of  the 
botanists,  may  be,  and  is  cultivated 
with  passable  success  by  being  planted 
out  with  gladiolus,  and  other  similar 
roots  ;  but  as  it  is  susceptible  of  being 
forced  so  as  to  give  from  thirty  to  forty 
flowers,  why  should  we  content  our- 
selves with  half  our  bulbs  blossoming, 
and  they  producing  only  half  a  dozen 
small  flowers  each"? 

To  bring  it  to  its  highest  condition, 
a  few  general  principles  are  to  be  kept 
in  view.  First,  the  bulbs  should  be 
well  grown  and  strong,  having  nursed 
but  few  offsets  in  their  previous  growth. 
Second,  they  should  never  feel  a  colder 
temperature  than  forty  five  degrees 
Fahrenheit  (even  in  their  quiet  state), 
otherwise  the  bulbs  are  weakened,  which 
will  be  shown  by  the  blighting  of  the 
flower-buds.  Third,  (and  this  applies 
with  more  or  less  force  to  all  vegetation), 
never  allow  them  to  make  growth  of 
foliage  without  having  well-established 
roots.  To  this  end,  keep  the  bulbs, 
while  in  a  quiet  state,  in  a  uniformly 
dry  and  warm  atmosphere.  Fourth, 
they  are  gross  feeders,  and  being  natives 
of  a  warm  climate,  can  hardly  be  pushed 
too  hard  after  they  have  begun  their 
growth.  This  may  be  considered  funda- 
mentally essential  to  success. 

The  plan  of  culture  given  below  I 
have  adopted  as  best  calculated  to 
govern  the  supply  of  heat  and  food,  but 


it  may  be  varied  to  suit  other  circum- 
stances, keeping  in  view  the  foregoing 
general  principles. 

Divest  the  bulb  of  its  scales,  and 
with  a  knife  remove  all  embryo  iDulbs. 
Follow  this  up,  during  the  growth,  by 
splitting  them  off"  as  soon  as  they  ap- 
pear above  ground.  Prepare  seven-inch 
pots  by  filling  one- third  with  old  cow 
manure  gathered  in  tiie  pasture,  broken 
fine,  or  its  equivalent,  and  fill  up  with 
good,  rich  compost  of  equal  parts  of 
loam,  sand,  and  well-rotted  manure,  in 
which  plunge  the  bulbs  nearly  to  their 
tips.  Of  coui-se  a  space  is  to  be  left 
for  watering  when  growth  has  com- 
menced. If  a  hot-bed  or  other  bottom 
heat  is  at  command,  plunge  the  pots  to 
the  rim  and  cover  the  plants  from  the 
light,  for  by  this,  root  growth  is  induced 
in  advance  of  foliage,  thus  securing 
strength.  Give  only  sufficient  water  to 
preserve  moisture  until  foliage  appears, 
then  remove  the  shade  and  gradually 
increase  the  watering  until  the  blossom 
stalk  begins  to  spin  up,  when  a  full 
supply  should  be  given.  Liquid  man- 
ure twice  a  week  will  not  be  too  high 
feed  for  them.  But  little  further  care 
is  necessary,  except  to  divest  them  of 
offsets,  as  before  directed,  until  the 
approach  of  cold  nights,  when  they 
should  be  removed  to  the  conservatory, 
or  other  warm  quarters.  By  shading 
from  the  sunlight  when  in  full  bloom, 
they,  like  all  other  delicate  flowers, 
may  be  prolonged  in  their  season  of 
beauty.  Bloom  may  be  expected  in 
about  four  months  from  the  time  of 
potting,  and  such  bloom  as  will  well 
repay  all  extra  care  or  trouble. 


Abutilon  Boulb  de  Niege  is  as  yet  the 
best  white-flowering  abutilon  in  cultiva- 
tion. It  is  of  dwarf,  compact  growth, 
and  an  abundant  bloomer,  thus  rendering 
it  one  of  the  most  desirable  of  the  whole 
tribe  for  the  decoration  of  the  greenhouse 
or  window  garden. 


THE   CANADIAN    HOETI0ULTDRI8T. 


PROTECTING  FRUIT  TREES  FROM 
MICE. 

Please  tell  me  the  best  means  for 
preserving  fruit  trees  from  the  ravages 
of  mice.  I  have  suffered  from  this 
annoyance  more  or  less  every  winter, 
without  being  able  to  check  their  oper- 
ations, and  if  you  could  iraform  me  of 
a  good  preventive,  I  would  feel  grateful. 

Answer. — Men'  are  very  apt  to  smile 
at  the  studies  of  the  naturalist,  as 
though  it  were  beneath  man's  dignity 
to  busy  himself  with  noting  the  habits 
of  such  very  insignificant  things  as  mice 
or  insects  ;  forgetting  that  it  is  in  this 
way  we  are  enabled  successfully  to 
protect  ourselves  from  their  depred- 
ations. Every  farmer  needs  in  some 
sense  to  be  a  naturalist,  for  he  is  con- 
tinually exposed  to  losses  from  numer- 
ous tiny  creatures  that  find  their  way 
to  his  fields,  barns  and  orchard.  It  is 
just  in  this  way  we  find  a  perfect 
method  of  preventing  the  ravages  of 
mice  among  young  trees.  A  little  study 
of  their  habits  shows  that  they  will  not 
live  where  they  have  nothing  with 
which  to  protect  themselves  or  in  or 
uncjer  which  they  can  build  their  nests. 
If  then  we  remove  from  the  orchard 
everything  that  can  afford  them  a  shel- 
ter, we  will  get  rid  of  the  mice.  If 
the  orchard  be  thoroughly  and  cleanly 
tilled  no  grass  or  weeds  allowed  to  grow 
in  it,  no  old  stumps,  logs  or  the  like 
left  for  mice  to  hide  under,  the  links  of 
the  fence  well  cleaned  of  sods,  &c.,  for 
the  compost  heap,  there  will  not  a 
mouse  stay  in  the  orchard,  not  a  ti'ee 
shew  the  scratch  of  a  tooth.  Nor  is 
this  all — the  trees  will  be  healthier  and 
grow  more  vigorously,  and  the  cleanings 
from  the  fence  links,  when  well  rotted, 
will  be  an  excellent  dressing  for  the 
trees.  We  have  known  of  various 
expedients  being  resorted  to,  such  as 
painting  the  butt  of  the  trees  with  coal 
tar,  placing  a  sheet  iron  hoop  around 
them,  or  a  heap  of  tan  bark. 


VALUE  OF  FRUIT. 

It  is  a  fact  that  fruit  is  a  great  regu- 
lator of  the  human  system.  It  will 
keep  the  blood  in  order,  the  bowels  reg- 
ular, tone  up  the  stomach,  and  is  posi- 
tively a  specific  in  many  diseases.  It 
is  said  of  a  doctor  who  became  largely 
interested  in  peach  growing,  that  he  re- 
commended peaches  to  his  patients  on 
all  occasions.  The  story  was  told  t^ 
illustrate  the  man's  meanness  ;  but  if  he 
was  mean  it  was  a  meanness  that  bene- 
fited his  patients.  If  men  were  wise 
they  would  spend  two  days  in  a  vine- 
yard or  orchard  to  every  five  minutes 
in  a  drug-store  when  anything  is  the 
matter  with  them.  If  you  have  dys- 
pepsia, eat  fruit.  Did  you  ever  think 
what  a  doctor  gives  for  dyspepsia] 
He  gives  an  acid.  Fruit  will  furnish  a 
better  acid  than  the  drug-store  will. 
Do  you  know  what  the  doctors  dose  you 
with  when  your  liver  is  out  of  order  / 
With  acids.  Then  why  not  supply  the 
remedy  yourself  from  your  own  garden/ 
Why  continue  to  have  your  medicine 
done  up  in  such  a  repulsive  mixture 
when  nature  furnishes  it  in  so  palatable- 
a  shape.  Every  home  should  have  at 
least  one  grape  vine.  Once  in  possession 
it  would  be  almost  above  price. — West- 
ern Farmer. 


WASTE  OF  LAND  IN'  FENCES. 

If  a  farm  of  160  acres  is  divided  by 
fences  into  fields  of  ten  acres  each,  there 
are  five  miles  of  fence.  If  each  fence- 
row  is  one  rod  wide,  no  less  than  ten 
acres  of  land  are  occupied  by  thorn. 
This  is  equal  to  6  J  per  cent,  of  the  farm,, 
and  the  loss  of  use  of  the  land  is  exactly 
equal  to  a  charge  of  6^  per  cent,  on  the 
whole  value  of  the  farm.  But  nearly 
every  fence  row  in  tlie  country  is  made 
a  nursery  for  weeds  which  stock  the 
whole  farm,  and  make  an  immense^ 
amount  of  labor  necessary  to  keep  them 
from     smothering    the    crops.     Much 


284 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


damage  always  results  to  the  crops  from 
these  weeds,  and  if  these  expenses  are 
added  to  the  first  one,  the  whole  will 
easily  sum  up  to  20  per  cent.,  or  a  tax 
of  one-fifth  of  the  value  of  the  farm. 
To  remedy  this  we  would  have  fewer 
fences,  or  we  would  clean  and  sow  down 
the  fence  rows  to  grass  or  clover,  and 
mow  them  twice  a  year.  Ten  acres  of 
clover  or  timothy  would  at  least  supply 
a  farm  with  seed  and  a  few  tons  of  hay 
every  year.  We  would,  in  short,  con- 
sider the  fence  rows  as  a  valuable  part 
of  the  farm  and  use  them  as  such. — 
Dixie  Farmer. 


CARE  OF  PLANTS  IN  WINTER. 

All  roots  of  ornamental  and  flowering 
plants  that  are  kept  dry  over  the  winter 
should  be  thoroughly  ripened  during  the 
autumn.  If  frost  overtakes  them  they 
should  be  dug  up  with  earth  adhering 
to  them  and  placed  in  a  light  cellar,  or 
other  place  secure  from  frost  to  thor- 
oughly ripen  up  and  dry.  Then  keep 
in  a  cool,  dry  place  until  they  are  wan- 
ted for  starting  in  the  spring.  This  will 
apply  to  cannas,  caladiums,  dahlias, 
gladiolus,  and  all  other  plants  of  that 
class. 

Tuberoses,  begonias,  and  that  class  re- 
quiring ta  be  kept  simply  dormant  for 
a  time,  should  have  the  water  gradually 
withheld,  in  the  autumn,  and  be  gradu- 
ally allowed  to  get  dry,  after  the  close 
of  the  flowering  season.  About  Febru- 
ary they  may  be  again  started  by 
shaking  the  soil  from  the  roots  and  re- 
potting. 

Tender  shrubs,  like  fuschia,  oleander, 
orange,  tender  roses,  and  all  that  class 
may  be  successfully  wintered  in  a  light 
cellar  that  does  not  absolutely  freeze. 
They  should  have  but  little  water,  only 
sufticient  to  compensate  for  the  actual 
loss  by  evaporation.  In  fact  the  soil 
should  always  be  kept  dry  rather  than 
moiat,  the  moisture  never  approaching 


the  state  of  wetness  during  the  winter 
rest. 


SEEDLING   POTATOES 

For  years  past  nothing  in  the  way  of 
novelties  has  met  with  readier  sale  than 
new  potatoes.  The  usual  price  when 
first  introduced  is  one  dollar  the  pound, 
and  in  one  case  at  least  as  high  as  four 
dollars  per  pound  were  paid  last  sea- 
son. Farmers  might  just  as  well  raise 
their  own  potatoes  from  seeds,  and  thus 
at  very  much  less  expense  provide  new 
and  valuable  kinds  for  themselves. 

March  15th,  planted  seeds  of  the  Eng- 
lish Magnum  Bonum  in  a  flower  pot  10 
inches  in  diameter.  The  seeds  germi- 
nated as  readily  as  tomato  seeds  would, 
so  that  by  April  9th,  they  were  ready 
to  be  transplanted  to  little  pots  three 
inches  in  diameter.  On  May  20th,  a 
small  plot  of  soil  was  prepared  and 
enriched  with  concentrated  potato  fer- 
tilizer at  the  rate  of  500  pounds  to  the 
acre.  The  plants  were  thumped  out  of 
the  little  pots,  being  very  careful  to 
preserve  the  ball  of  earth  and  roots  in- 
tact, and  set  a  foot  apart  in  rows — fel^e- 
rows  three  feet  apart.  No  check  to  the 
growth  was  sustained,  and,  if  we  would 
secure  tubers  of  the  largest  size  the 
first  season  from  seed,  this  is  all-impor- 
tant. If  from  becoming  pot-bound  or 
too  dry,  the  little  tubers  cease  to  grow, 
that  is  the  end  of  their  enlargement. 
New  tubers  have  to  form,  while  those 
first  formed  become  knobby  or  sprout 
again  and  decay.  Potato  seeds  may  be 
sown  out  of  doors  in  the  Spring  when 
settled  weather  has  arrived.  But  they 
make  comparatively  little  growth  of 
vine,  and  the  average  of  tubers  will  be 
no  larger  than  small  marbles.  Besides, 
j)otato  beetles  have  to  be  watched  very 
closely  or  the  tender  little  plants  will 
soon  be  destroyed.  Even  a  few  hours 
of  neglect  may  destroy  every  one. — 
Rural  N'ew  Yorker. 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


285 


THE  PRENTISS  GRAPE. 

We  have  recently  had  an  opportunity 
of  testing  the  quality  of  this  white  grape 
more  fully  than  ever  before,  and  confess 
that  it  stands  the  test  well.  In  quality 
it  will  rank  among  the  best  of  hardy 
out-door  white  grapes.  It  is  a  medium 
bunch,  and  a  medium  sized  berry  ;  in 
color  (like  all  white  grapes)  of  a  green- 
ish white  with  a  slight  tinge  of  amber. 
The  bunch  is  very  compact,  nearly  as 
compact  as  the  Delaware,  the  berries 
adhere  well  to  the  stem  ;  the  skin  is 
tough,  the  pulp  soft,  with  a  sweet, 
aromatic  flavor.  We  should  think  it 
would  keep  well  and  ship  well. 

As  for  the  hardiness,  vigor,  and 
productiveness  of  the  vine  and  the 
healthiness  of  leaf  and  fruit,  we  know 
nothing  from  observation,  but  Mr.  T. 
S.  Hubbard  publishes  numerous  testi- 
monials from  those  who  have  grown  the 
vines,  some  of  whom  are  well  known  to 
the  horticultural  public,  and  they  speak 
highly  of  its  qualities  in  those  respects. 
It  is  certainly  a  cause  of  congratulation 
that,  whereas  a  few  years  since  we  had 
no  white  grape  that  we  could  rely  on, 
now  we  have  quite  a  respectable  list  of 
those  that  are  decidely  promising,  if  not 
of  established  reputation. — American 
Rural  Home. 


DAMSON  DYE. 

W.  T.  Harding,  of  New  Jersey, 
writing  to  the  Gardeners  Mmdhly  from 
Staffordshire,  England,  giving  account 
of  a  visit  to  a  farmer,  says  : 

"  I  noticed  an  additional  orchard  of 
damsons,  several  acres  in  extent,  that 
had  recently  been  planted,  and  to  my 
query.  Why  so  many]  was  informed 
that  they  were  not  intended  for  culinary 
purposes,  but  to  supply  a  new  demand 
of  the  arts,  and  for  which  they  were 
immensely  profitable. 

"  Now,  here  was  something  new 
under  the  sun,  aa  the  sequel  will  pre- 


sently show.  As  I  had  hitherto  looked 
upon  the  domestic  damson  as  one  of  the 
most  useful  and  palatable  fruits  eaten, 
either  in  a  natural  state,  preserved,  or 
otherwise  prepared,  I  felt  astonished  at 
the  assertion.  As  damson  pudding  and 
pie  had  been  one  of  the  gustatory  de- 
lights of  my  youthful  days,  and  for 
which  I  sometimes  feel  a  yearning  now, 
I  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what  other  art, 
save  that  of  mastication,  could  find  a 
use  for  damons.  But,  good  i-eader,  be 
not  amazed  when  the  secret  is  divulged, 
as  it  was  told  to  me,  they  were  intended 
for  dyes  instead  of  pies.  '  The  fact  is 
this,'  said  my  friend,  *  I  last  year  sold 
nearly  all  my  damson  crop  which  real- 
ized £50,  or  $250,  to  parties  who,  in 
the  season,  go  about  the  country,  buy- 
ing up  all  the  ripe  fruit  they  can  find 
for  dyeing  purposes.'" — Rural  Home. 


MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  CANES  AND 
BUSHES  OF  THE  SMALL  FRUITS. 

Two  years  ago  I  read  in  some  paper 
an  article  from  an  experienced  writer, 
who  pretended  to  know  all  about  this. 
He  said  that  only  three  or  four  canes 
should  be  left  to  grow  and  bear  fruit 
from  blackberries,  raspberries,  currants, 
and  gooseberries.  This  may  do  very 
well  in  a  clay  or  quite  rich  loam  ;  but 
it  does  not  answer  at  all  for  a  poor, 
sandy,  or  fine  gravelly  soil,  except  in 
the  case  of  blackberries,  and  even  these 
had  best  be  left  with  half-a-dozen  canes 
to  grow  up  together.  For  years  I  had 
left  from  eight  to  twelve  canes  to  grow 
up  in  bushes  of  all  the  above,  except 
the  blackberries,  and  they  bore  fruit 
abundantly,  and  of  fully  medium  size. 
After  reading  what  this  writer  had  to 
say  on  the  subject,  and  being  desirous 
to  increase  the  size  of  my  berries,  I 
adopted  his  recommendation  of  only 
letting  three  to  four  canes  stand 
together.  The  result  is  that  several  of 
the  bushes  died,  and  not  one  bears  as 


286 


THE   CANADIAN    HORTICULTURIST. 


many  or  as  large  berries  in  proportion 
to  the  canes  left  as  they  did  before,  so 
I  shall  go  back  after  this  unfortunate 
experiment  to  my  former  method. 

The  canes  should  be  pinched  off  at 
the  height  of  two  or  three  feet,  accord- 
ing to  the  soil  and  the  sort  of  raspberry 
grown ;  but  blackberries  may  be  left 
three  to  four  feet  long.  Let  the  cur- 
rants and  gooseberries  grow  as  high  as 
they  will.  By  keeping  the  canes  so 
short  they  do  not  require  staking,  and 
by  having  so  many  grow  together  they 
shade  the  ground,  and  add  to  its  mois- 
ture and  coolness,  which  are  essential 
to  prevent  injury  from  a  hot  sun. — A. 
B.  Allen,  in  Rural  New  Yorker. 

INSECTS  AS  TALKERS. 

"  Two  ants,"  says  Buchner,  "  when 
they  are  talking  together,  stand  with 
their  heads  opposite  to  each  other, 
working  their  sensitive  feelers  in  the 
liveliest  manner,  and  tapping  each 
other's  head."  Numerous  examples 
prove  that  they  are  able  in  this  way  to 
make  mutual  communications  and  even 
on  definite  subjects.  "  I  have  often," 
says  the  English  naturalist  Jesse, 
"  placed  a  small  green  caterpillar  in 
the  neighborhood  of  an  ant's  nest.  It 
is  immediately  seized  by  an  ant,  which 
calls  in  the  assistance  of  a  friend  after 
ineffectual  efforts  to  drag  the  caterpillar 
into  the  nest.  It  can  be  easily  seen 
that  the  little  creatures  hold  a  conver- 
sation by  means  of  their  feelers,  and 
this  being  ended,  they  repair  together 
to  the  caterpillar  in  order  to  draw  it 
into  the  nest  by  their  united  strength. 
Further,  I  have  observed  the  meeting 
of  ants  on  their  way  to  and  from  their 
nests.  They  stop,  touch  each  other 
with  their  feelers,  and  appear  to  hold  a 
conversation,  which,  I  have  good  reason 
to  suppose,  refers  to  the  best  ground 
for  food."  Hague  writes  a  letter  to 
Darwin  that  he  one    day  killed  with 


his  fingers  a  number  of  ants  who  came 
every  day  from  a  hole  in  the  wall  to 
some  plants  standing  on  the  chimney- 
piece.  He  had  tried  the  effect  of  brush- 
ing them  away,  but  it  was  of  no  use, 
and  the  consequence  of  the  slaughter 
was  that  the  ants  who  were  on  their 
way  immediately  turned  back  and  tried 
to  persuade  their  companions,  who  were 
not  yet  aware  of  the  danger,  to  turn 
back  also.  A  short  conversation  ensued 
between  the  ants,  which,  however,  did 
not  result  in  an  immediate  return,  for 
those  who  had  just  left  the  nest  con- 
vinced themselves  of  the  truth  of  the 
report. 

THE  YEAR'S  RAISIN  CROP. 
Some  weeks  ago  a  commercial  paper 
of  this  city  roughly  estimated  the  raisin 
crop  of  California,  1881,  at  91,000 
boxes.  The  Riverside  (San  Bernardi- 
no) Press,  of  a  later  date,  corrects  this 
estimate  as  follows  : 

Boxes. 

Produced  at  Briggs' 65,000 

"        by  Blower 9,000 

"        at  Rocklin 12,000 

"        in  Fresno  county 8,000 

*♦        at  Riverside 27,000 

"        at  Orange 10,000 

**        other  places 20,000 


Total 151,000 

The  Press  is  located  in  the  heart  of 
a  raisin  district,  and  has  means  of  ob- 
taining correct  information  on  the  sub- 
ject. From  its  figures  the  value  of  the 
raisin  crop  of  the  State  this  year  will 
reach  half  a  million  dollars.  The  pro- 
gress of  this  industry  has  been  remark- 
able. In  the  reports  of  1878  the  As- 
sessors made  no  metion  of  it.  At  least 
none  is  made  in  the  embodiment  of 
their  reports  in  the  report  of  the  State 
Surveyor-General,  dated  1879.  It  now 
reaches  the  grand  aggregate  of  half  a 
million,  and  this  will  probably  be 
doubled  next  year,  if  no  unforeseen  ac- 
cident happens  to  the  Grape  crop  in 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


287 


the  raisin  districts.  The  one  great  ad- 
vantage of  the  business  is  that  to  pro- 
duce a  crop  worth  $500,000,  not  more 
than  1,200  to  1,500  acres  of  land  is  re- 
quired. In  some  favored  localities,  as 
at  the  Riverside,  as  high  as  $700  to 
$800  per  acre  has  been  realized.  To 
produce  the  aggregate  value  of  $500,- 
000  in  wheat  at  $1  per  bushel,  with 
the  high  average  of  20  bushels  per  acre, 
25,000  acres  of  first-class  land  must  be 
planted  and  well  cultivated.  —  San 
Francisco  Chronicle. 


ENGLISH  SPARROWS. 
At  the  Michigan  horticultural  meeting 
several  fruit  growers  told  us  that  the 
English  sparrows  were  rapidly  bringing 
grief  to  the  farmers  and  fruit  growers. 
It  was  the  old  story  of  destructiveness 
and  fighting  propensities.  And  now  we 
notice  in  an  exchange  that  at  Mt.  Vernon, 
111.,  a  gentleman  had  twenty  acres  in 
wheat,  from  which  he  expected  a  fourth 
of  a  crop,  the  heads  having  every  appear- 
ance of  promising  such  a  yield.  He 
resolved  to  cut  it  for  seed,  and  sent  some 
persons  to  gather  it.  They  returned  soon 
after  and  said  that  there  was  not  a  grain 
of  wheat  in  the  field,  the  sparrows  having 
eaten  the  entire  crop. — Prairie  Farmer. 


The  Hardiest  Black  Cap  Raspberry. 
— The  black  raspberry  known  as  the 
Seneca  Black-cap,  we  have  found,  from 
years  of  experience,  to  be  the  hardiest — 
able  to  withstand  the  most  cold — of  any 
of  the  named  varieties  we  have  seen  in 
cultivation.  Its  fruit  is  of  medium  size 
and  of  excellent  flavor,  and  the  plant  is 
very  productive  and  adapted  to  a  great 
range  of  soils. — Prairie  Fai-mer. 

Lyonnaise  Potatoes. — One  qaurt  of 
cold  boiled  potatoes  cut  into  dice,  three 
tablespoonfuls  of  butter,  one  of  chopped 
onion,  one  of  chopped  parsley,  salt,  pep- 
per. Season  the  potatoes  with  the  salt 
and  pepper.  Fry  the  onions  in  the  but- 
ter, and  when  they  turn  yellow  add  the 
potatoes.  Stir  with  a  fork,  being  careful 
not  to  break  them.  When  hot,  add  the 
parsley,  and  cook  two  minutes  longer. 
Serve  immediately  on  a  hot  dish. 


The  Peach  Borer. — The  perfect  insect 
of  the  Algeria  Exitiosa  or  peach  borer, 
somewhat  resembling  the  wasp,  lays  its 
eggs  in  June  at  the  base  of  the  tree,  which 
in  a  few  days  hatch,  and  the  grub  enters 
the  bark  and  lives  on  it  till  September  or 
later,  and  then  enters  on  its  chrysalis 
state,  preparatory  to  appearing  again  the 
next  spring.  If  your  trees  are  already 
infested,  dig  the  pests  out — make  thor- 
ough work.  If  you  are  not  quite  sure 
that  you  have  captured  them  all,  pour 
boiling  water  around  the  roots.  If  in 
May  of  each  year  you  make  a  mound  of 
earth  round  each  tree,  and  in  October 
remove  it,  you  will  be  no  longer  troubled 
with  the  insect. — Rural  New  Yorker. 

Wilder. — Another  grape  that  is  gain- 
ing space  in  vineyards  and  in  our  markets 
is  the  Wilder  (Rogers  No.  4).  Mr.  Mc- 
Lean, a  produce  dealer  of  this  city,  is 
receiving  considerable  quantities  of  this, 
as  well  as  of  other  varieties,  from  Mr.  De 
Los  Tenney,  of  North  Parma,  who  finds 
it  quite  a  profitable  variety  to  grow.  It 
is  the  largest  black  grape  grown  in  the 
open  air,  and  makes  a  fine  show  in  mar- 
ket. It  has  a  thick  skin,  a  soft  pulp, 
considerable  aroma,  but  is  a  little  deficient 
in  sugar.  Still  the  public  taste  would  be 
very  well  satisfied  with  it,  and  we  have 
no  doubt  that  it  will  pay  to  grow  it  in 
most  localities.  Among  its  other  merits 
it  is  a  long  keeper. — Rural  Home. 

Raspberry  Profits. — Mr.  Parry,  who 
has  long  been  a  very  successful  grower  of 
the  raspberry,  gave  the  New  Jersey  Hor- 
ticultural Society  a  statement  of  some  of 
the  large  profits  obtained  when  the  fruit 
sold  at  high  prices.  He  said  the  best 
American  varieties,  with  fair  treatment, 
will  yield  as  many  bushels  per  acre  as 
corn,  and  generally  bring  five  times  as 
much  in  market,  and,  when  once  planted, 
remain  for  several  years.  A  neighbor  of 
his  sent  to  market  a  one-horse  waggon 
load  of  red  raspberries,  and  received  $220 
for  the  lot.  A  lady  living  near  him  rented 
out  her  farm,  reserving  a  portion  for  a 
raspberry  and  blackberry  plantation,  from 
which  she  sold  one  yeai'  43,000  quarts  of 
berries,  worth,  at  8  cents  a  quart,  $3,440, 
which  was  more  than  the  tenant  made 
from  all  the  other  crops  on  the  farm. — 
Country  Gentleman. 


288 


THE  CANADIAN   HORTICULTURIST. 


WEEDS. 

I  like  these  plants  that  you  call  weeds- 
Sedge,  hardback,  mullein,  yarrow — 

That  knit  their  roots,  and  sift  their  seeds 

Wiiere  any  grassy  wheel-track  leads 
Through  country  by-ways  narrow. 

They  fringe  the  rugged  hillside  farms, 

Grown  old  with  cultivation, 
With  such  wild  wreath  of  rustic  charms 
As  bloomed  in  Nature's  matron  arms 

The  first  day  of  creation. 

They  show  how  Mother  Earth  loves  best 

To  deck  her  tired-out  places ; 
By  flowery  lips,  in  hours  of  rest, 
Against  hard  work  she  will  protest 

With  homely  airs  and  graces. 

You  plow  the  arbutus  from  her  hills ; 

Hew  down  her  mauntain-laurel ; 
Their  place,  as  best  she  can,  she  Alls 
With  humbler  blossoms  ;  so  she  wills 

To  close  with  you  her  quarrel. 

She  yielded  to  your  axe,  with  pain, 

Her  free,  primeval  glory ; 
She  brought  you  crops  of  golden  grain  ; 
You  say,  "How  dull  she  grows !  how  plain !"— 

The  old,  mean,  selfish  story. 

Her  wildwood  soil  you  may  subdue. 

Tortured  by  hoe  and  harrow ; 
But  leave  her  for  a  year  or  two, 
And  see— she  stands  and  laughs  at  you 

With  hardback,  mullein,  yarrow. 

Dear  Earth,  the  world  is  hard  to  please  ! 

Yet  heaven's  breath  gently  passes 
Into  the  life  of  flowers  like  these  ; 
And  I  lie  down  at  blessed  ease 

Among  thy  weeds  and  grasses. 

Lucy  Larcom. 


DOMESTIC  RECIPES. 
{From  the.  Ladies'  Floral  Oabinet.) 

Lemon  Pie. — Yolks  of  three  eggs  beaten 
well,  to  which  add  one  full  cup  of  sugar, 
the  juice  and  part  of  the  grated  rind  of 
one  lemon,  and  one  tablespoon  of  flour. 
When  the  crust  is  ready,  add  to  the  other 
ingredients  enough  sweet  milk  or  cream 
as  will  be  necessary  to  fill  the  pie-tin,  and 
bake  in  a  hot  oven.  As  soon  as  the  cus- 
tard is  fairly  set  and  the  crust  done,  spread 
over  the  top  the  whites  of  the  eggs,  pre- 
viously beaten  stiff  with  a  little  sugar, 
and  return  to  the  oven  to  brown  a  trifle. 
—A.  L.  T. 

Pickled  Peaches.  — Forpeaches  enough 
to  fill  a  three-gallon  crock,  take  two  quarts 
of  strong  cider  vinegar,  four  pounds  of 
brown  sugar,  plenty  of  stick  cinnamon. 
Rub  the  peaches  until  all  the  fuzz  is  ofi, 
stick  four  cloves  in  each  peach,  unless  the 
peaches  are  small,  then  three  will  be  suflSi- 


cient.  Boil  tlie  vinegar,  sugar  and  cin- 
namon, and  when  it  has  been  skimmed 
put  in  half  the  peaclies  and  boil  them  till 
they  feel  a  little  soft,  then  take  them  out 
carefully,  put  them  in  the  crock  and  boil 
the  rest,  then  put  them  in  the  crock,  and 
boil  down  the  vinegar  till  there  is  just 
enough  to  cover  them.  Put  a  plate  over 
them  to  keep  them  from  swimming,  and 
when  cool  paste  brown  paper  over  the 
crock  to  keep  out  little  flies,  and  keep 
from  the  air  till  cool  weather. — G.  C.  F. 

HiGDoM. — Not  quite  as  many  green 
peppers  as  green  tomatoes,  and  about 
one-quarter  as  many  white  onions.  Chop 
the  tomatoes  very  fine,  salt  them  and  let 
them  stand  twelve  or  twenty-four  hours, 
then  squeeze  out  every  particle  of  juice  ; 
put  them  in  a  porcelain  kettle  with  cold 
water  enough  to  cover  them  and  heat 
scalding  hot  ;  when  cool  enough,  squeeze 
every  particle  of  water  out.  Chop  the 
peppers  and  onions  separately,  and  boil 
separately  in  salted  water  until  nearly 
soft,  then  squeeze  the  juice  out  and  mix 
with  the  tomatoes  thoroughly.  Now  boil 
all  together  in  vinegar  and  water  until 
soft,  then  they  may  stand  a  day  or  two, 
or  more  if  convenient,  or  they  may  be 
squeezed  out  immediately.  Put  the 
amount  of  sugar  you  wish  to  use,  plenty 
of  white  mustard  seed  (one-half  pound 
to  one  peck  of  tomatoes),  a  little  cloves 
and  cinnamon  in  some  strong  vinegar, 
heat  it  and  pour  it  over  the  higdom,  and 
when  it  is  all  boiling  hot,  it  is  done  and 
ready  to  put  away,  in  crocks  or  large- 
mouthed  bottles.  If  put  into  bottles 
corked,  and  sealing  wax  poured  over  the 
corks,  it  will  keep  the  year  round.  There 
should  be  vinegar  enough  to  make  it  tho- 
roughly moist  and  a  little  juicy. — A.  L.  T. 


Dahlia  Coccinea. — As  single  flowering 
dahlias  are  attracting  considerable  atten- 
tion at  the  present  time,  I  would  call 
attention  to  D.  coccinea,  a  very  distinct 
and  profuse-flowering  species  ;  the  flowers 
are  freely  produced  from  June  until  frost, 
and  are  of  a  deep  crimson  color,  with  a 
bright  yellow  disc.  The  plant  grows  from 
two-and-a-half  to  three  feet  in  height  and 
requires  a  treatment  similar  to  that  given 
other  dahlias. — Rural  New  Yorker. 


PRINTED  AT  THE  STEAM  PRESS  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  COPP,  CLARK  k  CO.,  COLBORNE  STRHKT,  TORONTO. 


INDEX 


Page. 

Abutilon,  Boule  de  Niege 282 

Adriondac  Grape 31 

Adventures  of  an  Acorn 72 

Agawam  Grape 31 

Agriculturist  Strawberry    155 

Agawam  Blackberry    250 

AUan's  Hybrid  Grape 31 

Alexander  Peach HI 

Almond,  The 182 

Alvey  Grape 32 

Amsden  Peach Ill 

Amber  Queen  Grape    112 

Among  the  Raspberries 2G0 

Anna  Grape   32 

Ancient  Briton  Blackberry 250 

Apple  Marmalade 23 

Apples,  black  spots  on     54 

Apple  Pancakes     96 

Apple  Fritters   120 

Apples,  packing  of   205 

Apples,  how  to  handle    255 

Apples,  American,  in  England 215 

Apples,  marketing  of   220 

Apple  Jelly    238 

Apple  Sauce 240 

Apple  Tree,  planting  of 1 68 

Aphis,  black 173,  236 

Arsenic  for  Canker  Worms    230 

Asparagus,  culture  of  61,  225 

Asters 241 

Piarry  Grape 32 

Baked  Tomatoes   96 

Balsam,  The 169 

Bacteria 239 

Beaconsfield  Grape 22 

Beautiful  Wood  Nymph 27 

Bean  Pickles 264 

Begonias 41 

Bees  vs.  Grapes   138,  249 

Berberis  Purpurea    163 

Beet-Root  Pickles     264 

Beets,  Notes  on     277 

Bidwell  Strawberry 20,114,139,   152 

Black  Raspberries   ..    19,  173,  251,  254,  287 

Black  Spots  on  Apples    54 

Blackberries    . .   95,  210,  250,  254,  255,  276 

Black  Defiance  Strawberry 155 

Blackberry  Culture 210 

Blackberries  for  Profit   250,  254 

Black  Walnut 170,  180 

Black  Aphis 173,  236 

Black  Knot    214 


Page. 

Blood's  Black  Grape    . . . '. 32 

Bones,  do  not  waste  the 278 

Book  Notices  ....  24,  46,  95,  119,  143,  263 

Boys,  a  chance  for    138 

Boyden's  No.  30  Strawberry 156 

Brandy  wine  Raspberry 212,  250 

Brighton  Grape 32 

Brigg's  Red  May  Peach Ill 

Bright  Flowers 120 

Brinckle's  Orange  Raspberry 2ti  I 

Buhach    70 

Burnet  Grape  15,  112,  220,  248,  266 

Butternut.  The 180 

Cabbage  Butterfly    76,  235,  246 

Cabbage  Fly 235,  246 

Cabbage  Worm 246 

Cabbage  Maggot 235,  246 

California  Flowers  and  Fruits    1 35 

Canadian  Fruits    1  DO 

Canadian  Horticulturist  for  1883 241 

Canadian  Apples  in  the  English  Market  127 

Canker- Worm  22,  184,  239 

CaUa  Lily. 41,  9.3,  179 

Cap  Raspberries    .    19,  173 

Captain  Jack  Strawberry    155 

Carbolic  Soap  for  Insects    118 

Caroline  Raspberry    1 13,  212,  237 

Cardinal  Flower    141 

Carnation    141 

Catawba  Grape 32 

Cauliflowers 200,  273 

Cauliflower  Culture 273 

Cedars  of  Lebanon    10 

Celery  Growing 58,  92,  137 

Celery 92,  137,  163 

Cedar  Trees    133 

Centennial  Black  Raspberry 1 14,  261 

Cetewayo  Strawberry 15(J 

Champion  Grape    22,  32 

Chinese  Primrose 49 

Chrysanthemum    97 

Cherries I47 

Charles  Downing  Strawberry    155 

Chestnut,  sweet    181 

Chestnut,  European 181 

Chinese  Peonias  1 85,  268 

Cherry-Tree  Aphis  2.36 

Christine  Raspberry    261 

Chloride  of  Lime 264 

Chicken  Cholera  272 

Cineraria    73 

Clapp's  Favorite  Pear 26,  111 


290 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Clinton  Grape    32 

Climbing  Plants    65 

Clarke  Raspberry    113,  211 

Clematis,  The    274 

Clematis  Coccinea    279 

Concord  Grape 32 

Codlin  Moth  Trap    55 

Conkling  Peach 112 

Cos's  Golden  Drop  Plum     154 

Colonel  Cheney  Strawberry   155 

Continuous  Daylight 191 

Coal  Ashes 240 

Concentrated  Fertilizers 260 

Corwin's  Collections     21 

Crab-Apple  Marmalade  19 

Creveling  Grape    32 

Cranberry  Rolls    96 

Crescent  Seedling  Strawberry  ....   107,  155 

Crawford's  Early  Peach 112 

Crystal  City  Strawberry 155 

Curculio,  The 14,  164 

('arrant  Jelly     18 

Currant  Preserves    19 

Currants 137 

Cucumber  IMckles     229 

Cuyahoga  (irape    32 

Cumberland  Strawberry 40,  45,  48,  155 

Cuthbert  Raspberry 43,  46,  113, 

212,  250,  261 

Cydonia  Japonica 163 

Damson  Dye 285 

Dahlia  Coccinea    288 

Deacon  Day  192 

Delaware  Grape    32 

Dempsey  Potato   15 

Deutzia  Crenata    163 

Deutzia  Gracilis    163 

Diadem  Raspberry   15 

Diana  Grape 32 

Domestic  Recipes    . .   96,  120,  192,  238, 

239,  264,  288 

Downing  Gooseberry    15 

Downer's  Prolific  Strawberry     155 

Dried  Foods   123 

Duchess  Grape 33 

Duchess  Strawberry 155 

Duncan  Strawberry .    .    155 

Early  Canada  Peach Ill 

Early  Canada  Strawberry 114 

Early  Dawn  Grape   33 

Early  V'ictor  Grape 33,  112 

Education,  Notes  on  Farmers'   213 

Egg- Plant,  how  to  keep 226 

Eldorado  Grape 33 

Electro-Horticulture    60 

Elm  Trees 131 

English  Sparrow,  52,  108,  126,  170,  247,  286 

Eumelan  Grape 26,  33 


Pa«i. 

European  Walnut 180 

European  Chestnut 181 

Everlasting  Flowers 25 

Evergreen  Hedge 45 

Evaporation  of  Fruit    101 

Exhibition  at  Toronto 217 

Explorations  in  Russia    247 

Fameuse  Apple 110 

Family  Supplies  of  Fruit    70 

Farmers  and  Small  Fruits 17 

Farmers  Who  Dislike  Fruit  Growing  . .  115 

Fashion  vs.  Taste 160 

Farmers' Fruit  Garden    161 

Farmers'  Education 213 

Feemster  Favorite  Grape    113 

Ferns 185 

Fences 192 

Fertilizers  for  House  Plants 261 

Finch's  Prolific  Strawberry    20 

Flemish  Beauty  Pear 15 

Flowers,  the  use  of 48 

Floricultural,  the  Lily 168 

Florence  Raspberry 173 

Fl  )wering  Peas 217 

Flowers  for  Invalids     277 

Fly  Poison 264 

Forest-Trees,  cultivation  of    63 

Foster  Peach 112 

Forest  Rose  Strawberry 155 

Forestry,  relation  to  Agriculture 202 

Fruit-Dryers 48 

Fruit  in  Algoma 101,  125 

Fruit  Trees,  wash  for 117 

Fruits  of  Manchuria     149 

Fruits  at  Aylmer 171 

Fruits  in  Muskoka   172 

Fruit-Tree  Culture   190 

Fruit  on  the  Table    226 

Fruit  at  Toronto  Exhibition 217 

Fruit-Garden 240 

Fruit  at  the  Provincial  Exhibition    243 

Fruit-house    264 

Fruit  Season  of  1882    268 

Fruit,  the  value  of    283 

Frederick  Clapp  Pear 1 10 

Fuchsias 41 

Gas-Tar  Water  for  Insects  69 

Galand  June  Peach Ill 

Gaertner  Grape 112 

Geraniums 41,  277 

Geraniums,  best  double 277 

General  Hand  Plum       154 

General  Sherman  Strawberry 155 

Gladiolus  1,  101 

Glass' Plum    15,  26 

Glendale  Strawberry  114,  155 

Glossy  Cone  Strawberry 155 

Glucose  Honey 239 


INDEX. 


291 


Gooseberry  Jelly 

Governor  Garland  Peach 

Gooseberry,  The 

Golden  Defiance  Strawberry  7, 

Good-Luck ....    

Gooseberries  at  Campbellford 

Gooseberries,  new   seedling 

Golden  Banded  Lily 

Golden  Beauty  Plum 

Grape-growing 2,  11,  27, 

Grapevine  Flea  Beetle 

Grape,  The   

Grapes,  packing    

Grapevines 

Grapes,  ripening   

Grapes,  new  sorts 

Grapes,  protecting  from  birds    

Grapes,  relative  value 

Grapes,  new  white    

Grapes,  preserving  for  winter    

Grapes,  keeping  on  vines    

Grape  Leaves  for  Pickles    

Grapes,  White 

Grapes  for  Profit 

Grafting  the  Grape 

Green  Grapevine  Sphinx 

Green  Prolific  Strawberry 

Great  American  Strawberry 

Gregg  Raspberry  . ,    174,  212,  250,  254, 

Green  Cabbage  Worm 

Green  Peas 

Grimes  Golden  Pippin 14, 

Gypsy  Strawberry    


Hanging  Baskets 

Handling  Apples 

Hartford  Prolific  Grape ^  . . 

Hardy  Shrubs    

Hawthomes,  The 

Herbert  Grape  33, 

Henry  Davis'  Strawberry  

Herstine  Raspberry    21 1, 

Highland  Grape     

Highland  Hardy  Raspberry 212, 

Hibiscus  purp.  pleno 

Hickory-Nut 

Higdom 

Hoosic  Pear  

Hopkins  Raspberry     1 14, 

Horticultural  (iossip  

Hovey's  Seedling  Strawberry    

Hoosier  Mammoth  Raspberry    

Horticultural  Notes 

House  Plants 

Honey  Pudding    

Hybrid  Tea  Roses    

Hydrangea  Paniculata     

Imperial  Gage  Plum    

Insects,  Protection  from 


Page. 
.   18 
.  Ill 
.  124 
155 
179 
198 
218 
209 
237 
187 
9 
15 
20 
127 
148 
165 
172 
174 
178 
206 
216 
224 
235 
251 
119 
27 
156 
155 
261 
246 
257 
26 
156 

153 
255 

33 
162 
151 
112 
156 
261 

33 
250 
163 
180 
288 
110 
173 
148 
156 
173 
168 
191 
239 
229 
162 


154 
176 


Pa  OK. 

Insects  . .  8,  27,  7<5,  118,  173,  183,  184,  235 

236,  246,  286,  287 

Insect  Powder  164 

lona  Grape     33 

Israella  Grape    33 

Ives  Seedling  Grape 33 

Janesville  Grape    33 

James  Vink  Strawberry 251 

James  Vick    144 

Jefferson  Grape 34,   107 

Jefferis  Apple    110 

Jersey  Queen  Strawberry    114 

Jenny  Lind  Strawberry 156 

Jonathan  Apple     110 

Jottings  in  the  Eastern  District    244 

Jucunda  Strawberry    156 

Keeping  Apples     72 

Keeping  Grapes,  on  the  vines    216 

Kentucky  Strawberry    114,   156 

KieflFer's  Hybrid  Pear    110,  222 

Kirkwood  Strawberry 20,    1 56 

Knox  Blackberry 255 

Laburnum,  forcing  the     23 

Lackawana  Caulinower   23 

Lady  Grape    34 

Lady  Washington  Grape 34,   1 1 2 

Ladies  Sweet  Apple 110 

Lady  Charlotte  Grape 112 

Lawns  27 1 

Lemon  Jumbles     96 

Lemon  Diimplings     120 

Lemon  Ice 192 

Lemon  Pie 288 

Lettuce   68 

Letter  from  Hon.  M.  P.  Wilder    246 

Lindley  Grape 34,  112,  201 

Linden  Grape    112 

Lima  Beans    276 

Lilies   168 

Liiium  Auratura 168,  209 

Lost  Rubies  Raspberry  ..   94,  114,  127,  212 

Lombard  Plum 154 

Longworth's  Prolific  Strawberry 156 

Longfellow  Strawberry    156 

Lyonnaise  Potatoes 287 

Marvin  Strawberry 20 

Martha  Grape  34 

Mammoth  Pearl  Potato 48 

Massasoit  Grape 34 

Mayflower  Tomato 91 

Magog  Red  Streak  Apple  109 

May  Beauty  Peach Ill 

Manchester  Strawberry 1 14,  152, 

156,  194,  233,  254 

Matilda  Straw Ijcrry 1 56 

Market  for  Ontario  Apples 194 


292 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Marlboro' Easpberry  .,.., 212 

Marketing  Apples 220 

Marketing  Currants 228 

Mammoth  Cluster  Raspberry 261 

Management  of  Small  Fruit  Canes  ....  285 

Merrimack  Grape 34 

Meteorological  Register 53  j 

Melon  Bugs    183 

Melon  Culture 208  | 

Mice,  protecting  trees  from 283  , 

Miner's  Great  Prolific  Strawberry 156 

Mount  Vernon  Strawberry 20,  152  j 

Moore's  Early  Grape  20,  34  ; 

Mother  Apple 110  I 

Monroe  Grape  113 

Moonstone  Strawberry  ., 114  j 

Mountain  Mahogany  144  I 

Monarch  of  the  West  Strawberry 156  j 

Moore's  Arctic  Plum 195  1 

Montclair  Raspberry 212 

Moss  for  Plants 218  ' 

Morning  Glories  264  i 

Mulberries  58,  75,  189 

Mulching  Strawberry  Plants 182 

Muskoka  Falls,  fruit  at 199 

Muslin  for  Sashes 216  i 

McLaughlin  Plum    14 

Native  Fruits    109  | 

Native  Wines    62 

Narcissus    207  i 

Newer  Strawberries 20 

New  Garden  Implement 22 

New  Dominion  Strawberry     114   ' 

Newman's  Prolific  Strawberry 156 

New  Rochelle  Raspberry    212  ; 

Niagara  Raspberry 113,  266  1 

Nicanor  Strawberry 156  , 

Northern  Spy  Apple    110  ' 

Nut  Cake    120  ' 

Nut-bearing  Trees    180  ; 

Oak  Trees  131   i 

Oak-leaved  Mount.  Ash 270  ' 

Occident  Apple 109  ! 

Ontario  Apple    15,  221 

Onion  Smut 117 

Ontario  Potato 166 

Onions,  how  to  cook 201 

Ontario  Raspberry 212 

Orange  Syrup    ^ 96 

Orange  Crop 108 

Orient  Strawberry    153 

Ornamental  Trees 151 

Over-production  of  Fruit     72 

Packing  Grapes     , 20 

Paper  Bags  for  Grapes    48,  168,  249 

Palestine  of  To-day 1 18 


Page. 

Pansy,  The    140 

Passion  for  Flowers 188 

Packing  Apples 205 

Patrician  Raspberry     26 1 

P.  Barry  Pear   1 10 

Peach  Butter 18 

Peaches,  hardy 19 

Peach  Trees,  shortening  in 72 

Peach-growing,  success  in 91 

Pears,  early    92 

Peaches  Pickled 120,  288 

Persian  Chamomile 164 

Pecan  Nut 181 

Peonias 185,  268 

Peas,  prolonging  season 225 

Peas,  green     257 

Pear  blight 233 

Peach  Yellows 239 

Peach-borer    287 

Philadelphus  Coronarius 163 

Pickled  Peaches 120,  288 

Pickled  Onions 264 

Pickles    204 

Pioneer  Sugar  Beet  Company    238 

Pioneer  Strawberry 156 

Picotee,  The 141 

Pine  Forests  Discovered 72 

Pinching  Melon  Vines 156 

Plants  by  Mail 234 

Plants,  care  of  in  Winter   284 

Plum  Preserve  . , 18 

Plums,  old  and  new .-  ?53 

Plum,  native  American 237 

Poetry. ...  24,  48,  72,  96,  120,  144,  168, 

192,  240,  264,  288 

Pocklington  Grape    34,  236 

Pond's  Seedling  Plum 154 

Potato,  new  sorts 159 

Potatoes,  seedling 284 

Potato  Experiment 216 

Prentiss  Grape   40,  285 

President  Wilder  Strawberry   156 

Pride  of  Hudson  Raspberry 212 

Prim's  Strawberry  272 

Prouty  Strawberry 156 

Proportion  of  Farmers 168 

Protection  of  Grapes 172 

Profit  of  Grape  (Growing 280 

Profitable  Quince  (irowing 281 

Protecting  Trees  from  Mice 283 

Provincial  Exhibition 243 

Pruning 104 

Question  Drawer 75 

Quince,  The   116 

Quince  Growing  Profitable 281 

Raspberries,  black   19 

Raspberry,  hardy 80,   136 

Raspberries,  new 211 


INDEX. 


293 


Page. 
260 
287 
235 
275 
286 
40 
261 


Raapberries  for  Profit 250, 

Raspberry  Profits 

Radisli  Fly 

Rarest  American  Wild  Plant . . 

Raisin  Crop  of  1881 

Rebecca  Grape 

Reliance  Raspberry 46,  212,  250, 

Reports  on  Fruit  Trees . .   14,  26,  56,  57, 

100,  124,  199,  245 

Report  on  New  Fruits  for  1881 82 

Relations  of  Forestry  to  Agriculture  . .  202 

Kichniond  Peach 11  "2 

Richlan.l  Plum 15+ 

Rice  a  substitute  for  Potato 173 

Rose  Bug   8 

Roadside  Fences  49 

Rockingham  Grape 112 

Rockland  Favorite  Grape   113 

Rochester  Grape 113,  247 

Root  Pruning 116 

Rocky  hill  Triumph  Strawberry 156 

Root  Pruning  of  Tomato 183 

Roses,  Hybrid  Tea 229 

Roses,  pruning  of 232 

Roses 265 

Roger's  Hybrid  Grape,  No.  44 249 

Russell's  Prolific  Strawberry 156 

Russell's  Advance  Strawberry 156 

Russian  Mulberry 189 

Kussian  Apples 269 

Salem  Grape    15,  26,  40 

Salt  for  Asparagus   183 

Salsify 184 

Salsify,  how  to  cook     205 

Saunders'  Hybrid  Raspberry  .     15,  75,  80 

Saving  Mother  . .      240 

Schizanthus    120 

Scott's  Winter  Apple 109 

Senascjua  Grape     40 

Seeding  Orchards 71 

Seedling  Potatoes 284 

Seneca  Chief  Strawberry    156 

Seneca  Queen  Strawberry 156 

Secret  of  Good  Luck    ^T 179 

Seckel  Pear    193 

Shaffer's  Colossal  Ra8pl>erry  . .  80,  114,  189 

Sharplcss  Strawberry    144,  150,  244 

Shec^)  and  Trees   23 

Shelling  Peas     96 

Small  Fruits  for  the  Farmer 263 

Small  Fruit  Canes    285 

Smilax     237 

Snyder  Blackberry  251 

Souhegan  Raspl)erry 114,  174,  231 

Sorghum  Sugar 222 

Spiced  (irapes    19 

Spiced  Currants    18 

Spirea  Rcevesii 163 

Spirea  Thunbergia    163 


Page. 

Spinach  ■» 188 

Spiced  Vinegar 264 

Spotted  Pelidnota 10 

Springdale  Strawberry    156 

Sparrowgrass 24 

Si|uashes 48 

Strawberries,  The  newer     20 

Strawberries  in  Iowa    48 

Strawberries    . .   77,  155,  208,  222,  239,  251 

254 

Strawberries  for  Market    196,  222 

Strawberries,  culture  of 208 

Stump  Apple 109 

Stone's  Hardy  Blackberry .  276 

Striped  Bug    269 

Summer  Radishes 25 

Sutton  Beauty  Apple 109 

Supasse  Melocoton  Peach   112 

Superb  Raspberry     1 14 

Summer  Meeting  of  F.  G.  A 199 

Sumach,  cultivation  of    . . . , 230 

Sugar  Beet  Company   238 

Sweet  Chestnut     181 

Sweet  Peas     217 

Sweet  Corn  Pickled 120 

Swayzie  Pomme  Grise 15,  26 

Syringa  Vulgaris 163 

Thinning  Fruit   183,  257 

Thrips,  The   , 27 

'i  hwack  Raspberry 46,  212 

Tolman  Grape 22 

Tomatoes  Rotting 106 

Tomatoes,  root  pruning  of 183 

Toronto  Exhibition 217 

Trees,  how  to  plant 42 

Tree  Planting 86,  102,  142,  262 

Trees,  when  to  prune 103 

Trees,  pruning  of 104 

Trees,  utility  of 128,  279 

Trees,  importance  of  culture 128 

Trees,  how  to  render  them  hardy 157 

Trees,  in  cities 166 

Trees,  whitewashing  of 167 

Trees,  what  to  plant  for  fuel  and  timber  207 

Transplanting  the  Raspberry 269 

Triumph  de  Grand  Strawberry 156 

Triple  Crown  Strawberry 156 

Tulips 121 

Tuberose    93,  288,  282 

Turner  Raspberry  . .  46,  113,  212,  250,  261 

Tyler  Raspberry 254 

Utility  of  Tree  Planting  on  the  High 

way 279 

Value  of  Fruit   283 

Vegetable  Soup 96 

Vegetable  Oyster    184,  205 

Vermont  Giant  Grape 112 


294 


INDSX. 


Page. 

Vergennes  Grape 40 

Viburnum  Plicatum 162 

Victoria  Strawberry    156 

Victoria  Grape 112 

Vick,  Jaraea 144 

Vick,  James,  strawberry    251 

Walter  Grape    40 

Wash  for  Fruit  Trees 104,  117 

Waterloo  Peach   Ill 

Ward's  Late  Peach 112 

Washington  Plum   154 

Warren  Strawberry 156 

Walnut,  English     180 

Walnut,  Black    170,  180 

Watermelon,  The 186 

Waste  of  Land  in  Fences 283 

Weigela  Rosea 162 

Weigela  Rosea  Nana  Var 162 

Western  Triumph  Blackberry 255 

Weeds     288 

White  Ann  Arbor  Grape 113 


Paoe. 

White  Grapes  235 

Wilder  Grape 20,  40,  287 

Wilder,  Hon.,  M.P,,  letter  from 55 

Wild  Goose  Plum  Ill,   154 

William's  Early  Peach    Ill 

Wilmington  Red  Grape 113 

Winter  Blooming  Plants 41 

Winant  Raspberry 46 

Wines,  native   62 

Windsor  Cherry    .    . .  ill 

Windsor  Chief  Strawberry   156 

Wine  aged  by  Electricity 269 

W^inter  care  of  Plants 284 

Withered  Flowers    144 

Worden  Grape 40,  266 

Wyoming  Red  Grape 113 

Yellow  Egg  Plum 154 

Yellows  and  Bacteria 2!39 

Zinc  Labels    232 


PRIKTSD  AT  THE  8TKAM  PRKS8  KSTABLUHllENT  OF  COFP,  GLARK  *  CO.,  COLBORME  STREET,  TORO^TO. 


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